Soul Hunter
by SkywalkerT-65
Summary: When Ruby Rose went to Beacon Academy two years early, she had assumed she was going to be the odd one out. Her sister, the Ice Queen Heiress and the mysterious dark-haired girl aside. What she didn't expect, what none of them expected, was that an even more mysterious teenager would join them. One with a power no other Hunter or Huntress has...and one that just may turn the tide..
1. Welcome to Beacon

**AN: Not sure I really have the time to be starting a new fic, but hey, the muse can be fickle at times. I didn't even know RWBY existed until recently, but now that I _do_...it's practically begging for a Bleach crossover. Hence, this fic. It's also a way to keep me writing when I'm plotting the sequels for my existing stories (CoF and Angel are both winding down).  
><strong>

**The premise is going to be fairly similar to most others...namely Ichigo. _But_, I've made it a point of changing things up to make this one unique. You'll see what I mean.**

**Now, let's see how this goes.**

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><p><strong>Yang Xiao Long<strong>

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><p>Brilliant sunlight shone down on Vale, the capital of the Kingdom that shared its name. One of Four Kingdoms of Remnant, Vale was perhaps the most peaceful of the Kingdoms. Were one to look at the city, they would see a calm and sleepy city, where conflict was a distant memory. There was crime, most notably a recent rash of Dust thefts. But these crimes were ordinarily petty at best, not something that would lead to worry that would affect most of the people of Vale. Even the worry of all humanity in Remnant, the fearsome creatures that lived outside the walls of the Kingdoms, was not a worry in Vale. The dark and terrifying Grimm, horribly mutant animals that existed for no purpose beyond killing Man, were the bane of all those who lived outside the Kingdoms.<p>

But in Vale, they were no threat to the happy citizens for one reason. The skilled Hunters and Huntresses of Vale, the best warriors the Kingdom- and some would argue, Mankind -could offer. Trained at Beacon Academy, arguably the most famous Academy in the world, these warriors had to be as good as they were. Fighting the Grimm was not something done with a faint heart. The monsters were easily capable of killing the majority of humanity, those who had never trained to fight them. This was why the Hunters and Huntresses existed...this was why Beacon existed.

And today, as the sun over Vale was eclipsed by a massive airship, was the day the new students of Beacon arrived at the Academy. This airship belonged to the academy, and was used to transport the new students to their new home. Unsurprisingly, said students were spending the time mingling with the classmates they would be sharing the year with. Two though, already knew each other.

"Oh I can't believe my baby sister is going to Beacon with me! This is the best day ever!"

"Please...stop..."

"But I'm so proud of you!"

The pair of girls, sisters in fact, stood apart from anyone else. One was blonde, her long hair doing more to conceal her...generous...figure than her clothing. Her sister was the polar opposite, and would make one question if the two were truly related. Her short black-red hair was nothing like her sister's generous blonde locks. And her black dress, while short, was far more conservative- especially taking into the account the red cloak she also wore.

"I just want to be normal..." the shorter sister muttered, a slight tone of dejection to her voice.

"But you _are_ special, Ruby," the blonde said, wrapping her arm around her sister and giving a short squeeze.

"Thanks Yang," Ruby said, leaning slightly into the hug.

"It's what I'm here for sis!"

Smiling at the way her sister was back to normal, Yang turned away and had her attention drawn to a news broadcast. An orange haired man was on the window, with a name beneath it...Roman Torchwick. She didn't really recognize him, not the name. But she did remember what her sister had told her, when she came home unusually late.

"_That's_ the guy you beat up sis?" Yang asked, an eyebrow going up.

Ruby's pale face flushed, "I didn't beat _him_ up...it was his guards, actually. They weren't that good!"

"Or you're just too good of a fighter."

The pale face went even redder, eliciting a chuckle from the elder sister. Ruby merely elbowed her in the side, doing nothing to lessen Yang's grin. Huffing slightly, Ruby turned away from her sister and watched as the news was replaced with a severe looking woman. One whom she seemed to recognize, as the widening of her silver eyes indicated.

_Wonder who that is?_

"Who's that?" Yang asked out loud, before the look of the woman reminded her of something, "Isn't she the one who helped you out?"

"_My name is Glynda_ _Goodwitch."_

"Oh. You didn't mention her name sis."

"_You are among a privileged few who received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy. Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future hunters and huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task, and now it is our turn to provide you the knowledge and training to protect our world."  
><em>

As Goodwitch's image vanished, Ruby looked at her sister, "I didn't know her name."

"Yeah, she doesn't seem the friendly type."

Ruby giggled, before her silver eyes widened. Now that there was nothing, not even clouds, obscuring the windows of the airship, she could properly see outside. The girl's face showed wonder, as she looked down on Vale far below. She hadn't ever been this high before, and seeing the city stretching into the distance was quite the experience for her. Yang hadn't either, but as she walked next to Ruby, she didn't have quite the same level of awe on her face. More an amused smile, as she planted a hand on her sister's shoulder. Ruby never changed...

"We're so high up!" the younger sister crooned, "I can see Signal from here!"

After saying that though, Ruby's excitable voice did trail off somewhat. Yang noticed the change in mood, and squeezed her sister's shoulder. She always was emotional...cheerful most of the time, but if she got subdued...well, after years of practically raising her, she knew her sister well. And knew just as well that all she had to do was squeeze Ruby's shoulder. She preferred that to more vocal methods.

_Can't take praise, this girl..._

Ignoring that thought for the moment, Yang refocused on what Ruby was doing.

"I guess home isn't that far after all..."

Smiling comfortingly, Yang shook her head- well aware Ruby couldn't see it, "No, Beacon's our home now."

Sharing a moment of quiet, the two sisters looked out at their homes, old and new in the distance. A moment that lasted all of a few seconds before several things happened.

A teenage boy, scraggly blonde hair covering his pale face, held a hand to his mouth and stumbled away from the window. He heaved, clearly attempting to hold in vomit. Unfortunately, his rush to get away from the window managed to knock another teenager out of his way. This boy promptly stumbled into Yang, who lost her grip on Ruby...and managed to send her sister falling to the ground.

"Oof!" Ruby complained, falling to the ground.

For her part, Yang grunted, "Hey, watch it!"

Instead of acknowledging that shout, Yang saw the teen scoff, before sticking his hand out to help her sister up. Of course the scowl seemingly welded onto the other teen's face wasn't doing him any favors. He looked standoffish at best, something not helped by his brilliantly orange- far brighter than Torchwick's more subdued shade-mop of spiky hair. It was an odd combination, especially with the hand he was reaching out. Not to mention the odd black robe he was wearing. Yang had never seen an outfit quite like it...black all over, aside from a white belt and what looked like a white undershirt. And then there were the _wooden sandals_ of some sort. That couldn't be comfortable.

Jerky looking or not, at least he was gentlemanly enough to offer a hand to her sister.

Of course, Ruby was a bit...awkward...when it came to new people.

"Yo, you okay?" the teen finally asked, his voice as deep as one would expect.

Ruby shook her head rapidly, "Oh I'm fine! I just couldn't keep my balance, it was totally my fault and...umm...heh...heh...your hair is really orange."

An orange brow went up, "Yes? And it's natural, before you get any ideas. I get enough of that crap already."

_Natural? That's a new one._

"Can't say I've ever seen such sunny hair before," Yang spoke up, eliciting a groan from Ruby.

"Yaaaannnggg!"

"What?! That was a perfectly valid pun."

Electing to ignore the 'boo' in the background, the blonde instead turned to the teen. Who, scowl or no scowl, looked like he was holding in a laugh. Raising an eyebrow in a silent challenge, Yang got him to stop. Instead, his scowl deepened- if that was even _possible_ on a human face -and he turned his head slightly. Sighing, the teen coughed softly.

"Look, I'm sorry I bumped into you. Won't happen again," he finally said, still looking off into the distance.

"I'm not angry," Yang replied, making Ruby blink...her sister's temper was as bad as her protective instinct, "just curious. I've never seen you before...you can't be from Signal."

"That's because my old man trained me personally. Never been to a formal school, not since I was a kid."

"If you got into Beacon with self-training, your dad must've been a pretty famous Hunter. So, who was he?" the blonde asked, curiosity lacing her tone.

The teen scowled again, "Not a Hunter."

Yang _and_ Ruby blinked at that. Not even a professional soldier, the only other option that seemed likely, could train someone _on their own_ to get said someone into an academy like Beacon. So how did this guy's father, apparently not a Hunter, do that? Not to mention the fact that the boy was well-built, and clearly experienced. Nothing like Vomit Boy earlier, who had looked fairly average. And no, she wasn't checking him out...though now that she looked...

_Okay, check out cute guy later. Figure out who cute guy is first._

"Okkkayyy..." Yang said dubiously, "Well, I'm Yang and this is Ruby. What's your name?"

"Ichigo Kurosaki," the teen, Ichigo, replied.

"Yep, never heard of you."

Continuing to surprise the sister's, the scowl actually got _lighter_. Like he was relieved that Yang hadn't heard of him before. Which was certainly odd, especially if his family wasn't some famous group of Hunters.

"Doesn't surprise me," Ichigo just shrugged, "the old man's a doctor these days, so it's not like we're out hunting H...Grimm these days."

Ruby just had a disappointed look, perhaps hoping to get some awesome story out of the other teen. Yang by contrast, narrowed her lilac eyes slightly. She had caught the slip-up, but didn't know what it meant. She had only ever heard Grimm called, well, Grimm. Nothing that started with an 'H'. If he had meant humans...well, this guy wasn't getting within a mile of her sister ever again. _No one_ hurt Ruby and got away with it. Luckily for Ichigo, he seemed to realize the anger that Yang was currently suppressing. She could give him that much at least...he was observant, if nothing else.

"I say something?"

"Well, you just almost called a Grimm something starting with an H...I think I should be worried your family hunt humans or something," Yang replied, her eyes flickering red for a split-second, as her gauntlets flashed sunlight.

"Yang! He didn't mean that! Right? Right?" Ruby protested.

Ichigo just held a hand up, "Relax will you? My father calls Grimm 'Hollows' sometimes. I just slipped up since I'm not at home. I'd personally hunt down and kick the ass of anyone who hurt humans for no reason. Or Faunus for that matter. Jerks like that bug the hell out of me."

Not one of the little group noticed a pair of amber eyes widen nearby at the end of that sentence. Yang just relaxed, and Ruby let out a sigh of relief at the sight. Her sister noticed that, and was tempted to sigh in frustration herself. Ruby, fighter that she was, hated human conflict. Or at least, she hated conflict that couldn't be solved by hitting it over the head with her weapon. Yang could understand- she wasn't exactly the best herself, and _did_ happen to enjoy knocking sense into idiots. But she was better at conversations and personal relationships too.

And, for now, she could just get to know this new guy. He seemed nice enough, scowl aside. That didn't mean she wasn't going to want to know why his father would call a Grimm 'Hollow' though. Neither her father or uncle, both of whom were very experienced Hunters, had ever mentioned the name.

"Well in that case, it's nice to meet you," she stuck her hand out.

"Yeah, nice to meet you," Ichigo replied, shaking the offered hand.

Ruby grinned beside her sister, glad the situation was defused. Yang knew that when she was around it made her a little more comfortable around the new guy. If the older girl hadn't been there...well, she probably wouldn't have even felt comfortable talking to Ichigo. Well, there was a way to solve that problem...but it would wait until they reached Beacon. Since they hadn't quite arrived yet, she waited for Ruby to at least _try_ to strike up a conversation. Which she finally did.

"Why are you coming to Beacon?"

"Huh?"

Not that the question got quite the reaction either sister was hoping for.

"If your father trained you, why are you coming here?" Ruby explained, patting the weapon mounted on the small of her back, "My uncle taught me how to use Crescent Rose! But I still have to learn things."

"There's your reason," the orangehead shrugged.

"Wha?"

Ichigo sighed, though it was more a 'what am I going to do' than an annoyed sigh, "I can only learn so much from the old man. If I'm going to be a Hunter- I ain't doctor material -I need to learn more. Hence, Beacon."

"Hmm..." Yang mused, "Makes sense. Well, it'll be interesting to see how you fight!"

The eagerness in her voice got another raised eyebrow out of the male teen. Yang just grinned cockily, her hands twitching slightly. She enjoyed a good fight, perhaps too much. And whatever else he was, Ichigo looked like a good...fighter...

_We've got there already?_ Yang thought, as she felt a shudder go through the airship.

Turning her head, she did indeed see that the airship had landed at Beacon. Lights came on, directing the new students towards the disembarkation points. Time to figure out how the year would go...

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><p><strong>Ruby Rose<br>**

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><p>As she disembarked from the airship with her sister- and Ichigo Kurosaki who seemed to be sticking around, in his own words, because he had no idea where to go -Ruby's eyes widened. She was still jittery and nervous about Beacon. Yang's comforting words aside, she was not looking forward to seeing how people would react to the 'kid who got in early'. The girl had been serious when she said she didn't want to be seen as special. The attention was nice in its own way, but Ruby didn't want people thinking she had done anything to cheat her way in. She wanted to be treated like anyone else.<p>

Yet, while that worry didn't vanish, it was eclipsed by awe.

"The view from Vale's got nothing on this," Yang spoke up.

"I'll admit, it's a lot more impressive up close," Ichigo agreed.

Ruby just nodded numbly, before something else served to distract her from the view of the impressive academy. Namely, the new students walking towards it. Now, where her sister would look at the- male -students with a perverse stare, Ruby wasn't interested in the bodies. She was interested in what was hanging _off_ the bodies. Namely...

"Sis! Look!" she gushed, "That's guy's got a collapsible staff! And she's got a fire sword!"

The girl's fangirling over the weapons was cut short as Yang reached out with a sigh and grabbed hold of her hood though. Ruby complained, as she was dragged back to her sister and the taller boy, who was currently sighing with an exasperated look on his face.

"Ow...ow...owwww..."

Yang just sighed, "Easy there little sister. They're just weapons."

Putting her hands on her hips, Ruby couldn't believe her ears, "'_Just weapons_?' How can you say that sis! They're extensions of ourselves! A part of us, not to mention so cool!"

"Why not swoon over your own weapon then?" the elder sister dryly suggested, as neither sister noticed Ichigo shuffling uncomfortably in the background.

The sound of clanking came from Ruby, as she unfolded her custom built weapon. She was very proud of Crescent Rose...her uncle had said it was one of the best Scythes he had ever seen. And she had designed and built it all on her own! But that being said...as much as she loved her own weapon, being able to see other weapons was something she didn't often do. Signal hadn't had new weapons for some time, and seeing more professionally built ones from the Beacon students was a new experience.

Not to mention...it was cool!

"Of course I'm happy with Crescent Rose," Ruby replied, cuddling her scythe, "I just like seeing new ones. It's like meeting new people...but better."

Yang clicked her tongue, as she pulled her sister's hood down, "Ruby, come on. Why don't you make some new friends on your own?"

Ruby pulled her hood down, and smiled shyly at her sister. She knew Yang was trying to be nice, but why did she need new friends?

"Why would I need friends when I have you?"

"Actually..." the blonde replied, "I have to catch up with my own friends. See you later!"

Before the younger sister even knew what was happening, Yang had rushed past her with a gaggle of her friends. Ruby blinked and spun around, thrown off balance by the sudden departure of the one person she actually knew here at Beacon. Struggling to stay on her feet, she felt her heart rapidly sinking. Yang had just thrown her to the proverbial wolves, and she couldn't even use Crescent Rose on these ones! It would have been easier to be thrown in an actual pack of wolves!

"Wait! Where are you going?!" Ruby complained, her head spinning, "Are we supposed to go to our dorms? Do we even _have_ dorms?"

Feeling her feet slipping, the teen almost fell to the ground. She _would_ have, if Ichigo hadn't caught her arm and yanked her to her feet, actually.

"You okay there?"

"I...no..." Ruby replied, "Yang _knows_ I'm not good with people, and she just runs off like that?"

Ichigo just shrugged, "You seem perfectly fine to me. If anyone isn't good with people, it's me. Most people assume I'm a thug because of the hair, and I have to beat them senseless."

"I can't imagine why."

The new female voice interrupted the conversation before Ruby could say anything. Both teens looked behind them, and saw another young girl standing behind them. Barely the same height as Ruby- if not shorter, considering her heels -she had pure white hair, and an equally silver dress. Her face bore a haughty expression that had the other girl on edge though...Ruby wasn't exactly one to like arrogant people. They tended to yell at her.

"Who the hell are you?" Ichigo asked, getting a betrayed look from his companion.

Flicking her ponytail behind her head, the other girl scoffed, "You don't know who I am?"

"Nope."

"Umm...no..."

"She's Weiss Schnee," yet _another_ female voice spoke up.

Ichigo seemed more bemused than anything as he turned his head. Ruby, by contrast, felt her head spinning again. Not only had Yang left her alone with someone she barely knew- even if he was quite nice beyond his rough exterior -but now she was being swamped by other people. At least this girl looked nicer. Her clothing was somewhat reminiscent of Yang's, but a different color and less revealing. That alone helped Ruby's feelings, though her deadpan look wasn't quite as helpful compared to her sister's animated expressions. At least her bow was cute?

"Heiress to the Schnee Dust Corporation," the black-haired girl continued, "The largest producer of energy propellent in the world."

"Finally, some recognition!" Weiss said, a grin on her face.

"Also known for their horrible labor and questionable business practices."

Ruby couldn't quite keep a giggle from escaping her lips at the way Weiss sputtered when the other girl said that. It was funny! What was rather less funny, was Weiss scoffing and stomping off with anger clear in her figure. This semester was off to a wonderful start...

"Geez, wonder what crawled up her dress and died," Ichigo said, shaking his head.

"Welcome to Beacon eh?" Ruby replied, before she noticed that it was just her and the orangehead again, "Why does everyone keep leaving?"

The taller teen just shrugged. Ruby sighed again, and was tempted to just lay down on the ground and stay there. This was not turning out to be a good idea so far. At least she had _someone_ to talk to, even if Ichigo wasn't the most talkative person out there. Shaking her head, Ruby sighed for what would hopefully be the final time, and forced a grin onto her face. Even if she was having a bad day, she would face it with a grin on her face. Letting something like this get her down? Yeah, that wasn't going to happen or her name wasn't Ruby Rose!

"Come on, let's go see..."

Before she could finish that sentence, the teen nearly ran into another teen. Vomit Boy, to be more precise. Now that he was off the ship, the blonde looked better. He still looked just as lost as she felt though...which was saying something.

"Yo," Ichigo said, walking up to the pair.

"Hey," the blonde replied, "You two lost too?"

"Of course not! I know exactly where we're at!" Ruby replied.

Both Ichigo _and_ the blonde raised their eyebrows. The redhead just stuck her tongue out, finding it easier and easier to well...be herself. Ichigo didn't judge _anyone_ really, and the blonde just seemed calming to be around. It was an odd feeling to be sure.

"Well, I say we explore a bit," the blonde said, "Name's Jaune by the way."

"Ruby."

"Ichigo."

Once the introductions were out of the way, the little group started wandering the grounds. Ruby didn't have any idea where they were supposed to go after Yang left her anyway...and Ichigo had said he didn't either. Maybe Jaune did, but at that moment...she didn't really care. It was nice to just walk and talk with the other teens. Maybe Yang was right, and this whole 'meeting people' thing wasn't as bad as she thought.

Aaannndd...then she remembered Weiss. It was probably luck that Ichigo and Jaune were so easy to talk to. It might also have helped that she was in a _beautiful_ part of Beacon, with a little pond to her side.

"I'm just saying, motion sickness is a lot more common than people think," the blonde was saying.

"Sorry, Vomit Boy was the first thing that came to mind," Ruby giggled.

"Yeah yeah," Jaune said, though there wasn't any real bite to his words.

Ichigo just smiled ever so slightly, "It was still funny."

Jaune didn't even bother replying to that. Ruby, deciding that she wanted to break the ice in a way she understood, moved to where she wasn't standing right next to either boy. She reached behind her back, a grin forming on her face. This was where she was comfortable!

"Sooo..." she said casually, before unfolding Crescent Rose again, "I have this."

A squeak came from Jaune, who backed up quickly, "Is that a scythe?"

"And does it really need to be that big?" Ichigo added, eyebrow going up.

"It's also a customizable, high-impact sniper rifle," Ruby replied to the first question, before just sticking her tongue out at Ichigo.

"A what?"

Ruby cocked her weapon, "It's also a gun."

"Oh..." Jaune nodded, "That's cool!"

A blush crossed Ruby's face, smiling at the praise before looking at the other teens weapons, "What do you have?"

"I have this sword," the blonde replied first, drawing the aforementioned weapon, "and this shield too."

The sword and shield were fairly standard actually. A normal old longsword, and an admittedly interesting shield/sheath combination. Nothing special in the end though...which was odd to Ruby. Every other student she had seen so far had something special like her own Crescent Rose, albeit not quite _as_ complex. Jaune though, had something that any old soldier could use. It was a bit odd, though she did like the weapon. It wasn't often that someone could get into a school like Beacon with something so simple after all.

Like it wasn't often that someone got in two years early. Maybe she and Jaune had something in common?

"Oh..." Ruby mimicked the older teen, "Do they do anything?"

As she asked that, she placed a hand on the shield...promptly making it bounce around, extending and retracting. Her eyes widened, as Ichigo ducked underneath the shield while Jaune struggled to catch it. When he finally _did_ catch the thing, he retracted it and placed it back on his hip. Ruby couldn't help but breath a sigh of relief at that. The thing was more dangerous than his sword!

"The shield...contracts, so when I get tired of carrying it...I can just...put it away," Jaune explained, once it was back on his hip.

Ruby blinked, "But wouldn't it weigh the same?"

"Yeah..."

Ichigo laughed, "Well, at least it's smaller."

Jaune perked up, "Good point!"

"So did you build it?"

At that question from his female companion, Jaune blushed slightly. The redhead didn't know what to think about that. Every student at Signal built their own weapons...was it different where he came from? It would be odd...building your own weapon gave you such an advantage in a fight. She loved Crescent Rose too, and wouldn't ever feel as comfortable with another weapon.

"Actually..." he scratched his head, "It's my great-great-grandfathers. He used it in the war!"

"Huh," Ruby nodded, "Well, I like it. Not many people have an appreciation for the classics these days. I may have gone a bit overboard myself...heh...what about you Ichigo?"

The orangehead nodded, maybe a bit warily, as he reached over his shoulder and drew the weapon. Ruby felt her silver eyes widen, as her mouth formed an 'O'. For all that Jaune's sword was standard fare and ancient to boot, Ichigo's was...well, she didn't know how to describe it. Unlike a longsword, Ichigo's had a soft curve to it, nothing at all like the straight blade Jaune used, and unlike anything Ruby had ever seen. And she had seen a _lot_ of weapons, considering how much they fascinated her. The curve wasn't the only odd thing though. It also had a red-cloth covered hilt. And the square guard had...crescent moons...engraved on it. The blue tassels on the end were a bit odd too. But...

On top of all that, the weapon almost...glowed...if that was possible. Was that his Aura? She had never been able to see one before!

Honestly, she had only one thing to say about this sword.

"Cool!" the redhead shouted, her eyes wide as saucers, "I've never seen a sword like that! What is it? What is it?"

Ichigo just blinked, "Err...my Zanpakutō."

"What?" Jaune asked, "Is that a Hunter thing?"

"My old man called it that," the orangehead replied, "It means 'Soul Cutter'."

Ruby was too busy examining the blade in great detail to care what the name meant. If anything, the name just sounded cool.

"So your sword is called Soul Cutter? Mine is Crescent Rose!"

The older teen couldn't help but smile at Ruby's enthusiasm. But he shook his head all the same. The girl frowned at that, wondering if she had said something wrong. It would be like her to put her foot in her mouth...even if she didn't know what it could possibly have been this time.

"Actually, that's the type of weapon," he explained, "Mine is named Zangetsu. Slaying Moon, if you want a translation."

If anything, Ruby just considered that name _more_ cool. But she didn't have time to geek out over it, since Ichigo wasn't done talking. He replaced Zangetsu in it's sheath, and looked around. Ruby followed his eyes, as did Jaune. And all three of them quickly realized one thing. They were alone...not a single other student was around. The girl blinked slightly, before looking at her companions.

"Umm...do you know where we are?"

"No, I was following you," Jaune scratched his head.

"Not a clue," Ichigo shrugged.

Ruby just sighed.

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><p><strong>AN: And there we go. This is very much an experiment for me really. Both in the fact I've never written the RWBY characters before (being as I've only recently found the show), and the way I'm writing it. Namely, in the fact I'm doing what I've seen other authors do...have each segment from one dominate point of view. Normally I would go with every character in the scene, so this is a new thing for me. Hopefully it worked out.<strong>

**And hopefully I got the characterizations right...it's been a _long_ time since I've had new canon characters to write, since I've mostly stuck with Bleach and Gundam, where I'm a lot more familiar with the characters.**

**I should also note that Ichigo _has _his family here. How they all ended up here, with Ichigo clearly still a Shinigami (Hollows and all) will be explained...but not right away.**

**I feel like I should note one more thing though: Pairings are already decided. I won't say _who_ is with _who_, but suffice to say, anyone who will be paired up already has been in the outline. And no, Ichigo will not have every female within miles chasing him...one _pair_ing for him. Not a harem or threeway. Just getting that out the way now.**

**Let me know if this went well! Also, anyone know when Vol. 3 is coming? I figure it would be at RTX in August, but I don't know for sure...all I do know, is I'm not going past Vol 2 until 3 comes out. So this story may end up on hiatus, depending on writing speed and when Vol. 3 comes out.**


	2. First Night

**AN: Well...this is humbling. I didn't expect 22 reviews for the first chapter, considering just how much of an experiment this is. I'm glad so many people are enjoying this story. Hopefully I can keep the momentum going- current goal is an update every Friday.**

**This is fun to write, I'll say that much. A bit difficult too, but more in a 'fun challenge' way. The characters are fun to write, but it's equally 'fun' maintaining the proper characterization. Hopefully I can keep that up.**

**Hope everyone enjoys the chapter!**

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><p><strong>Yang Xiao Long<strong>

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><p><em>Maybe sending Ruby off on her own wasn't such a good idea...<em>

Yang sighed, as she stood among the other new students in the gathering area. Her friends had split off by now, and she was alone waiting for Ruby and Ichigo. More so the former, since she wasn't about to call the orangehead a 'friend' after just barely talking to him. But she was starting to worry that her sister had managed to get herself lost. Ruby had no idea where things were at Beacon after all. Not that Yang herself did, but she at least had friends and had followed the pack to the meeting area. Her sister didn't have either advantage. Hence, maybe it wasn't such a good idea to throw her to the hounds, so to speak.

If Ruby got lost before the first day had even started, that was most certainly _not_ a good sign. Thus, the reason that Yang was watching the door, instead of keeping an eye on the podium.

"Come on Ruby, hurry up..."

Right as she said that, the blonde perked up as her sister came rushing through the door. Ichigo was right next to her as expected, though his black...robe thing...blended in the dark back area rather well. Vomit Boy was with the pair too, oddly enough. Shaking her head in amusement, Yang stuck her hand up and started waving to get her sister's attention.

"Ruby! Over here, I saved you a spot!" Yang shouted cheerfully, grin widening as Ruby noticed her and perked up.

"Oh! Hey, I gotta go, see you after the ceremony!" Ruby waved at Vomit Boy, before running over to where Yang was standing.

The blonde raised an elegant eyebrow though, as Ichigo continued following Ruby around. The other teen just shrugged, as he stood next to the sisters.

"I don't know anyone else here," he said, scratching the back of his neck.

"Ahh..." Yang replied dubiously.

"He's so cool sis!" Ruby entering into her 'motor mouth' mode served to distract Yang though.

Turning to her sister, the taller girl blinked, "Really? How?"

"He's got a special sword! I've never seen anything like it, and it's soooo awesome! It's a zan...zanp..."

"Zanpakutō," Ichigo supplied.

"Uh huh. So, where have you two been?" a smile crossed Yang's face as she looked down on Ruby, "And how has your first day been going little sister?"

Ruby's own smile faded off her face. Her sister blinked, and felt like sighing again. It was clear that her little sister wasn't having a good time, her fangirling over weaponry aside. It didn't even surprise her really. While she was very much a 'toss you into the water' type person herself, Yang _did _know how uncomfortable Ruby was with other people.

"You mean after you ditched me?" the younger girl complained.

"Hey, I didn't _ditch_ you!"

"You kinda did," Ichigo broke in.

The younger sister nodded, "Yeah!"

Yang just scoffed, "Double teaming me? Already?"

A giggle was her answer, as even Ichigo cracked a small smile. Yang just sighed and shook her head, amusement clear on her face. It looked like her plan had worked to some extent...Ichigo seemed like a nice enough guy, and he and Ruby seemed to get along. Considering how difficult it was for Ruby to make friends, her older sister considered that a victory. Yang was determined to always be there when her sister needed her, but even with that, she wanted Ruby to break out of her shell and make friends on her own. It was important for growing up.

And it seemed like she had found her first couple of friends. Mysterious Ichigo Kurosaki, and less-mysterious Vomit Boy. Eh, it was a start at least.

"I was yelled at actually," Ruby broke into her sister's thoughts.

"Someone yelled at you?" Yang asked, cracking her knuckles.

"Uh huh! This crabby girl, who said we got in her way and got all angry at us! I don't even know why, I just wanted her to stop yelling at me!"

The blonde was going to ask what her sister meant, when a female yell caught her attention. A white haired girl broke into their little group, prompting Ruby to jump into Yang's arms, and Ichigo to plant his face in his palm.

"You! Why are you two over here?!"

Yang's brow went up again, "We're students?"

"What she said," Ichigo agreed, "Why are _you_ acting so mean to everyone? Something tick you off?"

"Wha...I am _not_ acting mean!" the girl shouted, her blue eyes narrowing.

"You kinda are," Yang deadpanned, "Who is she anyway?"

That question was directed at Ruby and Ichigo. The former seemed to finally realize where she was, as she scrambled out of her sister's arms. Ruby had an adorable flush on her face, as she giggled slightly. Yang just smiled and shook her head, before raising her eyebrow at the pair. She _did_ want an answer, preferably from Ichigo or her sister, not the...other girl. Who did seem quite crabby.

Unfortunately, Ichigo just shrugged, "Wei...something or other. I'm horrible with names."

"Weiss," Ruby filled in.

Scoffing, the girl in question glared at Ichigo, "How you can forget someone with _my_ name is beyond me. Weiss Schnee, that's who I am."

"Ohhh..."

Weiss just glared at Yang's lack of reaction, before turning her head in a huff. Ruby looked between her sister and the heiress, clearly out of her element. Ichigo just ignored Weiss entirely, and shrugged at the sisters in a 'what are you going to do' manner. Yang grinned at that, feeling almost the same way...this girl wasn't worth it if she couldn't drop the attitude. But Ruby needed friends and at least she had met Weiss...so...even if it wasn't particularly appealing, she should at least make an effort. The heiress didn't seem friendly, but eh, if it worked it worked.

_Not that I like her myself. She's a bit stuck up._

"Look, I'm sure you two just got off on the wrong foot," she said, "Why not try to be friends?"

Ruby nodded quickly, "Great idea sis! Ahem...hello Weiss, I'm Ruby! Want to hang out? Go shopping for school supplies?"

"Oh that's a great idea!" Weiss replied, cheer in her voice, "We could be best friends! Go clothes shopping, paint our nails and talk about cute boys...like tall, dark, and...orange...here."

"Really?" Ruby asked, awe in her voice.

"No."

Yang sighed and looked away. That plan had backfired rather badly, hadn't it? Luckily for her, the awkwardness didn't last long. If only because Professor Ozpin, headmaster of Beacon, coughed lightly into his microphone. The new students focused on the professor, who looked out on them with an indecipherable expression on his face. The look went almost exactly over Yang and her little group, making even _her_ feel somewhat uncomfortable. She knew Ozpin was the reason Ruby was even at Beacon, so it made sense for him to look out for her.

It still felt very odd...like he knew something no one else did.

"I'll keep this brief," Ozpin began, pushing his glasses up his face, "You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills."

"Well, actually I came here for the adventure," Yang grinned at Ruby.

"Shh!" the younger girl whispered, not wanting the Professors attention drawn on her.

Luckily, he didn't seem to notice as he continued his speech, "And when you finish, you are going to dedicate your life to the protection of the people."

Ruby grinned at that, getting a smile out of her sister. She had always wanted to be a Huntress...to help others, like their parents had. Looking over her shoulder though, Yang saw Ichigo nodding along with Ozpin's words. She had not known the other teen long...but instead of the scowl, the blonde saw a determined look cross Ichigo's face.

_Wonder what that's about?_

"But when I look among you, I just see wasted energy. A need for purpose...for direction. You assume that knowledge will free you of this. But your time at this school, will show you that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to _you_ to take the first step."

And with that said, Ozpin walked away from the microphone. Yang frowned slightly, and flicked her long hair aimlessly. That was perhaps the oddest entrance speech to well...anything...she had ever heard. Not cheery and welcoming. If anything, it was like Ozpin wanted to test their resolve before they even started. As she had told her sister, Yang was here for the adventure, not the knowledge. But the way the Professor had talked...well, it had her questioning exactly what Beacon would be like. Hopefully fun, but...she just didn't know, not anymore. It wasn't a good feeling.

"You will gather in the ballroom tonight. Tomorrow, your initiation begins, be ready," Goodwitch finished off the speech.

As the crowd began to disperse, Yang looked at her sister, a confused expression on both their faces.

"He seemed...off."

Ruby nodded, "Yeah, it's almost like he wasn't even ther...hey, where'd Ichigo go?"

Yang blinked, and looked around. And indeed, the orangehead had vanished into thin air. Without her noticing at all, and Yang was observant enough that _never_ happened. With Ruby's Semblance, she had to be used to catching the slightest movement. For Ichigo to vanish without _her_ noticing...

_Okay Mr. Orange, you've caught my attention now..._

* * *

><p><strong>Ichigo Kurosaki<strong>

* * *

><p>Ichigo sighed as he wandered the halls of Beacon. He was alone, most of the other students moving to go to bed. That was fine by him though...Ichigo was a loner, almost by nature. He would be the first to admit he genuinely liked those quirky girls he had met- well, not Weiss -but by the same token, he preferred having some time alone. Probably a side effect of never having formal schooling in Vale. The only people he was regularly around were his father and sisters, so it wasn't particularly surprising that he would prefer the time alone. Not to mention...some of the things he had heard struck a little too close to home since he had arrived.<p>

Ruby most notably. He doubted she knew what she was saying when she mentioned a weapon being part of the Hunter or Huntress, but the fact remained...she was right in his case. Ichigo hadn't sensed anyone else having a weapon like his own, though he would be the first to admit- his father generally being second -that he was utter crap at sensory abilities. That being said, he hadn't sensed a soul in any of the weapons he had seen, not even that crazy scythe of Ruby's that she treated like it was alive.

_"Oi, Zangetsu, you sense anything?"_

**"Nope, not a damn thing,"** the double-toned voice answered.

_"Nor do I,"_ the deeper, but human, other voice added.

A sigh answered those statements. If neither portion of his Zanpakutō, Hollow or Quincy, could sense anything then he wasn't missing something. And on the note of his spirits...unique...nature...

**"Before I forget,"** the Hollow spoke up, **"Be more fucking careful how you talk Kingy. No one here knows what a Hollow is, and I'd like to keep it that way."**

_"There aren't _any_ Hollows in Remnant, and you know that."_

**"I also don't care. Stop comparing me to those soulless...things..."**

Ichigo sighed softly, as he felt the slight shudder his more violent spirit had at the mention of the Grimm. Even for a Hollow like Zangetsu, the Grimm were...terrifying. Isshin had said numerous times, that for something to be alive without any soul was the worst perversion of nature he had ever seen. And after fighting Grimm in training exercises, Ichigo was inclined to agree. There was nothing to sense from a Grimm, making it like fighting a robot...were it not for the darkness that hovered around them. A darkness that made Zangetsu's Hollow side look positively quaint.

And it was, perhaps, even worse for the Zanpakutō spirit than Ichigo or his father. Grimm _did_ resemble Hollows with their white armor. So to Zangetsu...it gave the aura of them being corrupted Hollows. It wasn't the case so far as any Kurosaki knew...but the fact remained.

_"Nonetheless,"_ the Quincy portion broke in, _"I believe that none here have the potential to be a shinigami. Several, including your new friends, have powerful Auras...but I do not believe they have Zanpakutō spirits."_

_So I'm alone as ever..._

Ichigo didn't show it much, but despite every single person in Remnant having some level of spiritual power- in the form of the Aura -he still had to deal with the fact he and his father were the only shinigami. There wasn't a single person out there like him, and it was...an odd feeling. Loner or not, anyone would have issues with that.

Regardless, he couldn't let it slow him down though.

_"At least I _have_ friends now."_

**"Kingy has a point,"** Zangetsu's Hollow side agreed.

Inside Ichigo's inner world, his Quincy side nodded, _"__Indeed. I am happy to see you have formed friendships so quickly."_

_"It wasn't me. That was Ruby and Yang."_

Those two...they should have bugged him. Ruby, when she wasn't down, was a bundle of energy that would make Yuzu's head spin. Such as when she became more comfortable with him and Jaune- who was nice enough himself, though Ichigo could tell he wasn't a good fighter...years of training with his father tended to make him observant of that type of thing. Yang by contrast, was bubbly and cheerful enough that it would have normally bugged him. But she balanced it out well enough, that it didn't. If anything, her attitude was infectious...how often did someone get him to crack a smile these days? He hadn't had a real friend since Tatsuki...so the sisters he had met today were a nice improvement in that regard.

**"Ya should probably go find that ballroom though."**

_"Since when are _you _the responsible one?"_

**"Can it."**

Ichigo couldn't help but chuckle as he shook his head slightly. The Hollowfied spirit did have a point though...if he stayed out too late, he'd both get himself lost again, and possibly have a prof sent out after him. Having that happen before the first official day of classes was _probably_ not a good thing. So the teen started walking towards where he could sense the greatest gathering of energy. Stopping temporarily to strip out of his shihakushō and into sleep clothes- in this case, just a pair of sweats since it was warm enough to forgo a shirt -Ichigo soon found himself in the ballroom.

"There you are!" a now-familiar bubbly voice shouted.

"And there's Yang," the teen muttered, as the blonde in question waved from where she was sitting with her sister.

Even in their sleep clothes, the sisters looked almost nothing alike. Yang was in a simple t-shirt and shorts, while Ruby had a sleepshirt with a cartoon wolf and patterned sweats. It also didn't help that the expressions on their faces were totally different. Yang looked as cheerful as ever- though Ichigo hadn't exactly known her long enough to know what she looked like when she _wasn't_ cheerful -while Ruby still looked uncomfortable. Considering the amount of people in the area, it wasn't particularly surprising that Ruby looked uncomfortable.

"Where did you vanish off to?" the blonde asked, not exactly shy about her eyes roaming up Ichigo's body.

It would take more than that to fluster him though, "Needed to walk."

"Ah."

"I miss anything?"

Ruby nodded, "You missed Yang being Yang."

The older sister stuck her tongue out at her sister, as Ichigo's eyebrow went up, "Huh?"

"I was just joking around with Ruby," Yang answered quickly.

"Okay?" the eyebrow went higher.

Yang just grinned. Ruby shook her head, though the fondness in her expression was obvious. Ichigo could recognize it well enough...he _did_ have sisters after all.

"Anyway, I was just telling Ruby that she can make friends here. You and Jaune for instance."

"But it's so hard..."

Ichigo shrugged, "I'd listen to Yang on this one. Like I said, I don't have an easy time making friends either...remember, I've been living with my family and not going to school."

"Yeah but..."

Before Ruby could finish that sentence, a light popped up, serving to distract the three teenagers. Following the source of the light, Ichigo spotted the other girl from earlier. The one who had known who Weiss was...and he had no idea who _she_ was. The dark-haired girl hadn't exactly said her name or anything. So all he knew was that she was knowledgeable and didn't like the Schnee family. And had a _really_ big bow on her head.

"It's that girl..." Ruby whispered.

"You know her?" Yang asked, a mischievous light in her eyes.

"I wouldn't say we _know_ her," Ichigo answered, "She told us who that stuck up girl was."

"Well this is the chance to know her!"

Yang proceeded to grab her sister's arm and drag her over to where the dark-haired girl was sitting. Ichigo just sighed and followed the pair.

_Yep...that's going to take getting used to._

"Hellloooo!"

The girl looked up at Yang's shout, and blinked her amber eyes, "Hello?"

"I believe you three know each other?" the blonde replied, pointing at an embarrassed Ruby and an exasperated Ichigo.

"Hi...I'm Ruby," the girl in question stuck her hand out, only to pull it back hesitantly when it became apparent the mystery girl wasn't going to shake it.

"Yo," Ichigo said simply, "I'm Ichigo."

"And I'm Yang! What's your name?"

"Blake..."

As Yang and Ruby started whispering at each other, Ichigo just sat down and leaned against a pillar across from the newly named Blake, "You get used to it."

"I'm sure," there was a hint of amusement in Blake's voice as the sisters turned back to her.

"So, how are you doing?" Yang asked first.

Blake barely looked up from her book, "Good."

"Okay...nice night isn't it?"

Ichigo could tell that the new girl was getting a bit annoyed behind her stoic mask- amused too, but mostly annoyed -at the interruptions. She seemed the bookworm type. Which was probably why she was getting annoyed actually. He could understand that...his father had a tendency to annoy him when he was working on something. Which normally ended with the old man getting tossed out a window, but that wasn't here nor there.

Shaking his head to clear the random thoughts, Ichigo refocused on the conversation.

"Yes, almost as nice as this book I'm reading," Blake was saying.

Ruby and Yang just smiled. Awkwardly.

"That I will continue to read."

The awkward smiling continued, prompting Ichigo to facepalm again, "Guys, I think she's trying to read."

"Thank you," Blake said.

Yang merely looked betrayed, "You're not helping!"

Oddly enough, it was Ruby who managed to salvage the conversation. She walked up to Blake, and looked down on the girl. A curious expression had replaced the nervous one on the teen's face. Ichigo raised his eyebrow at that...it was the first time he had seen _that_ expression on his new friend's face.

"What's its name?" she asked.

"What?" Blake asked back.

"Your book? What's its name?"

The girl blinked her eyes, before replying hesitantly, "It's about a man with two souls, both fighting for control."

Ichigo blinked himself, before laughing inside his head. Zangetsu was not amused.

**"Oi! I wasn't that bad!"**

_"You really were. Remind me to bring this up with her if we ever get to that point."_

**"...traitor."**

All joking aside, it was odd that there was a book that basically described the situation Ichigo went through before he forced Zangetsu to listen to him. The Hollow portion, at any rate, had kept trying to take over his body at first. It was exactly what Blake said her book was about...a man with two- three to be technical -souls fighting for control of the same body. The irony was palpable. Of course, these days he had a great relationship with both facets of his Zanpakutō, nothing like it used to be.

It was still amusing to some extent though.

"I love books," Ruby broke into his thoughts, "Yang used to read to me every night. Stories about heroes...monsters...they're one of the reasons I want to be a huntress."

"You read to her every night?" Ichigo asked the older sister.

Yang just shrugged, "Yup."

"Huh...I did the same with my sisters."

It seemed like Yang realized there was a story behind that, as she was looking at him a lot more intently now. Ichigo just shrugged himself this time. It was something to talk about later, but right now, it wasn't that important. In any case, Blake got both their attention again. The dark haired girl had a new expression on her face...one of confused respect. If that even worked.

"Well, the real world isn't a fairy tale," the girl was saying.

Ruby just smiled, "That's why we're here...to make it better."

Ichigo could relate to that. The reason he wanted to become a Hunter was to protect, after all.

"Oh, I'm so proud of my baby sister!" Yang, predictably, ruined the moment however. She pulled her sister into a hug, Ruby kicking her legs.

_Oh...my...god..._

A drop of sweat rolled down Ichigo's face as the two proceeded to get into a cat fight. Facepalming again, the orangehead noticed that Blake was _definitely _holding back a laugh now. Her face showed clear amusement as she watched the sisters play fight. And Ichigo soon joined her, a laugh escaping past his normally stoic exterior. Blake just looked at him, a smile crossing her face.

One that basically said 'should we stop them?'

"If you want to jump in there, go ahead," Ichigo shrugged, "I'm not."

"Don't blame you," Blake's smile grew slightly, though it was still tiny, "Ruby, Yang...it's a pleasure to meet you..."

"What in the world is going on over here?!"

Putting his head in his hands, Ichigo sighed, "Great, her again."

"Can't you tell some of us are trying to sle..." Weiss complained, before she realized who she was talking to, "You!"

"You!" Yang shouted right back.

Ruby just realized what was going on, and tried to defuse the situation, "She's right, we need to sleep!"

"Oh _now_ you're on my side!"

"What's your problem with my sister!"

Weiss scoffed, "Her and that orange haired delinquent are a hazard!"

"They haven't even done anything to you!"

Ichigo just looked at Blake as Ruby continued to try and salvage the situation. Nodding at her candle, the dark-haired girl got what he was trying to say. She nodded back, and pulled it to her lips...blowing the lights out. And quite easily solving the problem of the argument...because without her candle light, there wasn't much point in arguing.

The group just split up and went to bed at that point...though even in the dark, Ichigo could swear that Weiss was still glaring at them.

_She's going to be a pain..._

**"Yep."**

_"Indeed."_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And there we go. Like I said, it's proving fun keeping things in character. Hopefully that went well. Now, to take something from Angel...I'll reply to the reviews here. <strong>

**Reviews:**

**BANKAIZEN, TheHearth, The Digger92, JJN37, xbox432, PersonaQeminod1, Guest1, Chaos-Guard, Bl4ze777, HollowMugetsu, hollowichigo12,** **Friaku:** Thanks for the reviews!

**Dark-heika:** Glad to have you! Equally glad I finally got something up you like. I can understand having an author not write something you're interested in. Funnily enough, it was the Grimm's resemblance to Hollows, more than anything else, that got this idea cooking.

**Zanka no Tachi 31:** I got somewhat lucky in starting watching after Vol. 2 was over. It's going to be a pain waiting till August though.

**Nightmare Wanderer:** Glad you like it! And yeah, the 'Mystery of Ichigo Kurosaki' is going to be the major subplot here.

**NewAtThisOk:** Well, the convo with Zangetsu should indicate which one it is. But yes, it's the new one.

**Nexagelion:** Having Ichigo's family in Vale is one of the ways I'm (hopefully) making this unique I feel. Glad you like the pairing choice...I have nothing against people who prefer multiples, but it would be too odd for me to write personally.

**Examine Draco:** Yeah, I can understand that I was too lacking. I went back and edited the first chapter to rectify that somewhat.

**blackdeath34: **Neither actually...description fail on my part, but it's a _sealed_ Zangetsu.

**Guest2:** As above, I went back and edited the first chapter to hopefully clarify things somewhat.

For those who don't want to reread though:

Zangetsu is currently in a sealed form. A daito, with a red hilt. The guard is square, with crescent moons engraved on either side of the blade. There are blue tassels on the end. Basically, a modified version of the original blade he used.

_Hopefully_ I did better in this chapter in that regard.

**humbertorojo96:** Yep, Ichigo still has his powers. Now, I'm not going to say the _extent _of said powers yet though. That's one of the 'mysteries of Ichigo Kurosaki' thing.

**AN: Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. Remember to drop a review on the way out, I hope to get just as many this time!**


	3. First Step

**AN: I hadn't intended to post until Friday still...but...  
><strong>

**I'm posting this early in honor of Monty Oum. Without him, RWBY wouldn't exist. And if all I can do to honor that is continue this story, I'll do the best I can.**

**Even if I haven't the slightest idea how to continue past Volume 2 now. I _will_ continue.**

* * *

><p><strong><strong>Ruby Rose<strong>**

* * *

><p>In the dawn of her second day at Beacon Academy, Ruby Rose found herself far more happy and content than she had been the previous day. Instead of awkward meetings with people she didn't know, she just had the initiation today. Something that she could get behind, since it probably involved slaughtering Grimm. And that...well, <em>that<em> Ruby was good at. It was certainly more enjoyable than spending time meeting new people and talking to them. She loved her sister very much, and genuinely enjoyed spending time with Yang. But that didn't mean the young girl particularly enjoyed the idea of doing the same with other people- even Ichigo, who she got along with well enough.

So, needless to say, as she skipped along with Yang to the locker room, Ruby was in a much better mood.

_No more awkward talking! Just doing what I'm good at!_

Grinning with an almost silly expression on her face, the girl grabbed her stuff out of her locker as she saw Yang shake her head in amusement in the background. Just turning her grin on her sister, Ruby quickly changed into her usual combat outfit, securely fastening her beloved cloak. Wouldn't do to leave _that_ behind, now would it?

"You seem awfully chipper this morning," Yang commented in the background, a smile clear in her voice.

Letting a pair of students- one tall man with a green outfit and dark hair, the other a girl with red hair and a white shirt with a pink skirt -walk past, Ruby smiled at her sister.

"Of course! No more awkward small talk or getting to meet people! Instead, I get to let my sweetheart do the talking."

To emphasize her point, Ruby pulled Crescent Rose out of her locker and cuddled it close to her face, running a hand along the collapsed weapon, cooing all the while. She could see Yang giving her a dubious look, and it got a mental giggle out of the younger sister.

"Okay...what did I just walk into?" a dry male voice spoke up.

Turning her head from her weapon, Ruby saw Ichigo walking up, back in his black outfit with Zangetsu strapped to his back. Though he seemed to have added straps of white armor to his arms and chest, that weren't there the previous day. Straps that crisscrossed in an odd pattern, but seemed to fit perfectly to his body nonetheless.

"Ruby cuddling her 'sweetheart'?" Yang replied, with a barely contained laugh.

"Hey, don't make fun of Crescent Rose!" Ruby protested.

Ichigo's mouth twitched upwards, "I noticed. You two seem to be in a good mood."

Ruby turned her grin on her new friend, "Yup! I get to do what I'm good at now, fighting! No more small talk!"

Even as the girl said that though, she noticed her sister frowning slightly in the background. Turning with a questioning eyebrow, Ruby waited to see what Yang had to say. She knew when her sister was going to speak her mind better than anyone.

"Remember Ruby, you aren't the only one going through initiation today," the blonde spoke up, "if you want to grow up, you'll have to meet new people."

"Gah, you sound like Dad," Ruby complained, shaking her head in annoyance, "First off, what does meeting new people have to do with fighting. And second, I don't need people to help me grow up. I drink milk!"

If the girl expected that to work, she was wrong. Ichigo flat out laughed at that statement, bringing a flush to Ruby's face. Why was he laughing at her? Had she said something wrong, or funny? She hadn't tried to...

"I don't think she meant physically," Ichigo got out, shaking his head with the amusement still clear on his ordinarily stoic face, "She meant grow up mentally."

"Yeah," Yang nodded.

The redhead just frowned, "I still don't see the point...I have you two, do I need anyone else?"

Frankly, Ruby didn't see a point in meeting anyone else. She would always have Yang...her sister had promised, _promised,_ to always be there for her. Yang had said she was never going to leave, and Ruby held her to that. Adding Ichigo into the equation was simply because the guy was nice and seemed to genuinely consider her and her sister as friends. Which was certainly a nice thing, since it made getting along with him easier. But it also meant she really didn't see a reason to meet anyone else. She had Yang...she had Ichigo...what was the point?

_I love Yang, but sometimes she doesn't understand me!_

Ruby wasn't blind though. She did see her sister get a worried look on her face at that statement. Clearly, Yang wasn't happy with her want to stay with just her and maybe Ichigo.

"What about when we form teams?" Yang asked.

Shuffling her feet, the younger sister looked at the floor. The idea hadn't really occurred to her yet...

"I'll just be on your team, or something..." Ruby muttered softly.

Yang tugged on her hair, a nervous quirk that her sister was quite familiar with, "Why don't you try being on someone else's team? Like Ichigo?"

"Why are you dragging me into this?" Ichigo asked, eyebrow going up as Ruby stomped up to her sister.

"My dear sister Yang, are you implying you do not wish to be on the same team as me?"

While Ruby spoke with anger in her voice, underneath that anger she was...scared. Yes, Ruby Rose was scared at the idea of her sister being on a different team. She hated the idea of going through Beacon without Yang by her side. She had expected that until Ozpin had jumped her ahead two years. Now that she was at Beacon with no one she knew but Yang, Ichigo and _maybe_ Blake and Weiss...the idea of her sister leaving her behind terrified her. If Yang left her behind, what would she do? Ruby couldn't deal with being stuck with people she didn't know. She _needed_ Yang with her.

"What? No, of course I do!" naturally, Yang was well-versed in reading her little sister's moods by this point, "I just thought...I dunno...it would help you break out of your shell or something."

Feeling her temper actually coming back, Ruby yelled, "What? Break out of my...I don't need to break out of my shell! That's ridiculous!"

The teenager only barely noticed Jaune walking by complaining about something or other. All her attention was focused on her sister, who to her credit, looked a bit awkward herself.

"I just want to help you Ruby," the older girl spoke softly.

And just like that, the anger fled from Ruby's body. Her sister was always trying to help her...sure, sometimes she didn't want or like the help. This was one of those occasions. But that didn't change the fact that she was always trying. Yang loved her just as much as Ruby loved her...and it showed. She didn't want to meet new people, precisely because Yang was always there to help her. What was the point in meeting new people with Yang always there?

Ichigo's deep voice served to break Ruby from those depressing thoughts, "For what its worth, I'd want to be on the same team as you two."

Turning her head so fast she almost got whiplash, even _with _her Semblance, Ruby blinked her large eyes. Ichigo was just scratching the back of his neck again, a somewhat embarrassed look on his face.

"You two are going to be good friends, I can tell that much," the other teen said, "Not to mention I think we could work well together. You two are sisters, and I get along with you...so why not?"

Yang looked thoughtful, "And the teams are supposed to be four people...we'd only need one more person."

Grateful for the change in conversation, Ruby turned to her sister, "Blake? Or Jaune?"

"Not sure Jaune's a good idea..." Ichigo looked a bit dubious.

"Why? He's nice! I thought you liked him too?" Ruby pointed out.

A sigh was her answer, "Yeah, he's nice enough. But he's not a fighter."

Both sisters looked at the male teenager, who shrugged slightly. Ruby was more interested in what he had to say than Yang though. Jaune was a bit clumsy, but he wouldn't have gotten into Beacon if he wasn't a fighter. She knew as well as anyone how hard it was to get in. Which is why Ruby didn't want to be treated special because she got in early- she was well aware how _hard_ it was to enter Beacon.

"Why do you say that?" Yang asked first.

"I've been training to fight since I was ten years old," Ichigo shrugged again, "I can tell you two fight. Yang's in a ready stance no matter what the situation. And Ruby, you are always ready to reach for Crescent Rose. Jaune...he seems uncomfortable with his weapons."

The siblings blinked at that, before looking down at their bodies. They hadn't even realized they stood like that...how had _he_ noticed?

"I really stand like that?" Ruby asked.

Ichigo nodded, "Pretty much."

"What I want to know, is how you've picked up that skill," Yang mused.

Ruby didn't like the look on her sister's face. She had clearly found a mystery and wanted the answer to it. And when Yang got an investigation in her head, her sister got dragged along for the ride. Luckily, Jaune saved her for now.

"Whoa!"

"I'm sorry!"

The three new friends- well, two sisters and one new friend -turned their heads. Ruby fought back a giggle, as she saw Jaune pinned to the wall with an intricate spear through his hood. Standing in front of him were a girl she didn't know, and Weiss. The former, long red hair matching her equally red skirt though not her gold chest-piece, looked familiar though. Weiss she obviously knew, but the other one...where did she know her from? Scratching her head, Ruby tried to figure it out. Where had she seen this girl before...

Oh!

_That's Phyrra Nikos! I knew I recognized her!_

Phyrra, for her part, walked up to Jaune and pulled her spear from the wall, "It was nice to meet you!"

With that said, she left with Weiss. And as Glynda's voice repeated the message to go to the Cliff, that answered that question before Ruby could even think of it.

"Well, guess it's time to get started!" Yang looked like she was ready to rush through the door.

"Yeah, this should be fun," Ichigo agreed.

Ruby just grinned, "I'm looking forward to this! But..."

Walking forward, the young girl knelt in front of Jaune. The blonde was shaking his head morosely, not even caring about the announcement.

"I don't get it...my dad said women love confidence!"

Ichigo's scowl twitched upwards, "Confidence is one thing, but you _might_ have overdid it."

It was impossible...Ruby couldn't hold back the giggle at Jaune's face. He looked like he was really thinking over what Ichigo had said, instead of the fact he had just been launched into wall. It was just so...funny! Of course, the giggle stopped when he turned to look at _her_, though he didn't look angry. More like he was amused himself, at the sheer absurdity of the situation. At least he could recover quickly? Ruby didn't know if she could recover from something that got her down so quickly.

"That, and 'Snow Angel' may not have been the best start," Yang added, as Ruby pulled her new friend to his feet.

"Yeah...maybe," Jaune conceded, wrapping an arm around Ruby's shoulder.

"Come on Jaune, let's go."

* * *

><p><strong>Ichigo Kurosaki<strong>

* * *

><p>Standing at the cliff with the rest of the new students, Ichigo sighed mentally. It was time to truly begin his career at Beacon, and he wasn't really sure how it would go. Now that he was actually standing between Yang and some guy in overly-complex armor, it really struck home. There was no turning back, it was time to stop being a loner. And having been one for so long...it was going to be an adjustment to be sure. At least he had friends, as he turned his head and got smiles from Ruby and Yang. The former was smiling weakly though...a reminder that as much as Ichigo had to adjust to things, Ruby was having just as many issues. The girl was chipper, but clearly didn't like interacting with people outside her sister- and himself, for that matter.<p>

Yang, typically Ichigo had discovered, was wearing a cocky grin instead. She was certainly eager to get started. Something Ichigo could relate to, as he heard the sound of cracking knuckles in his head. Rolling his eyes, he tried to ignore it. Of course, the more eager portion of Zangetsu was hardly the quiet type when it came to stuff like this.

**"It's about damn time we get to go kill some Grimm,"** the Hollow-voice said, bloodlust leaking into the tone.

_"Only if we run into any. I'm not going to go hunting just to make you happy."_

**"Killjoy!"**

_"Madman."_

Ignoring the sputtering of his Zanpakutō, Ichigo focused on the Professors in front of him. Ozpin and Glynda to be more specific, the former sipping a coffee as he looked out at the students. Looking at the students himself, the teen noticed that only Ruby and Jaune seemed to be ill at ease. The rest ranged from uninterested- Weiss -to eager, like Yang.

"For years, you have trained to be warriors," Ozpin broke into his thoughts, "Today, your skills will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."

Ichigo doubted most of the other students could feel it, but _he_ could easily feel the darkness indicative of Grimm, even from here. That forest was crawling with the things.

_Sending new students down there? That's crazy._

**"Luckily for us both, you're already insane."**

Still ignoring his Hollowfied weapon, the teenager returned his focus to his Professors. Glynda was alternating between her Scroll and the students, her eyes as sharp as ever.

"Now I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams," the woman began, "Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be assigned teammates. Today."

Ruby groaned softly, her face gaining even more of an apprehensive look to it. For his part, Ichigo just shrugged. It wasn't like he hadn't come into this expecting that. They wouldn't have gathered everyone like this if they _weren't_ doing something special. Though, admittedly, it might have been better for future teams to let everyone get to know each other better. Not everyone had ready-made partners like he did with Ruby and Yang- and to a lesser extent, Jaune. Then again, toss someone in to the wolves and they'd _have_ to work together.

_"I believe that to be the goal,"_ the Quincy portion of Zangetsu concurred.

_"Yeah...we got lucky meeting Ruby and Yang when we did."_

_"Indeed."_

Ozpin's voice broke into Ichigo's thoughts once more, the man focusing on each student as he spoke...and lingering on Ichigo and Ruby longer than any other.

"These teammates will be with you the rest of the time you are here at Beacon," the grey-haired man explained, eliciting another grown from the girl in the hood, "As such, it is in your best interests to partner with someone you can get along with."

Ichigo nodded along with the Professor, looking at his potential partners. Jaune looked confused, while Ruby was getting progressively paler and more worried looking. Yang just shrugged at him, rolling her eyes at the nervous wreck next to her. Ichigo's mouth twitched up slightly, before he turned back to the older man with the perpetual coffee.

"That being said, the first person you make eye contact with upon landing will be your partner for the next four years."

"What?!" Ruby shouted, her voice cracking in shock.

Only Ichigo and Yang made any acknowledgment of Ruby's shout. For his part, the shinigami felt his mouth twitch upwards even further. Even as the older portion of his Zanpakutō berated him for finding amusement in Ruby's worry. Forcing the small smile back into his customary scowl, the teenager turned to look at Ruby. Yang was patting her sister on the shoulder, as the shorter girl looked positively terrified at the idea of being partnered with someone on such a random chance.

Considering even in the short amount of time he had known her, Ichigo had picked up on Ruby having _real_ social issues...it made sense. Well, he would just have to make an effort to track her down when they landed. If Yang couldn't find her sister, he would. It reminded him too much of how Yuzu would act when he wasn't around.

"As soon as you have partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest," Ozpin continued, "You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your way, or you _will_ die."

It was Jaune's turn to whimper, getting a raised eyebrow from Ichigo. And Yang for that matter, who was looking at the teen next to her with an interesting expression on her face. Like she was really wondering how he had pegged Jaune as someone who wasn't a fighter. Because the blonde _had_ been the only one who seemed to have an issue with destroying Grimm. Hell, Ichigo was wincing internally as his Hollow-side rejoiced at the idea that they would have to fight their way to their destination.

Nothing new there.

**"Now, this will be fun! I think I like this guy!"**

_"You would."_

Ozpin didn't make any indication he noticed Ichigo's internal conversation- it would have been rather creepy if he had -as the man ignored Jaune's whimpering and continued his explanation.

"You will be monitored and graded for the rest of your initiation. However, our instructors will not help you," the Professor explained, "At the end of the path, you will find an abandoned temple containing several relics. Each pair will secure one relic, and return here to the cliff. We will regard each relic and your performance, and grade each pair accordingly."

Looking at the students, Ozpin's expression didn't once change.

"Any questions?"

Ichigo didn't have any. The whole thing seemed simple enough...partner with someone, grab a relic, and get back to the cliff. Wiping out any Grimm in the path...which could be difficult, but he doubted there was anything down there _truly_ dangerous. Of course, just because _he_ didn't have any questions didn't mean no one did.

"Um...sir?" Jaune raised his hand hesitantly.

Ozpin proceeded to ignore him, "Good, now take your positions."

Jaune wasn't going to give up that easily though, "Um...sir, I've got a question. So this...landing strategy thing...what exactly does that mean?"

Rolling his eyes slightly at the question as _people were launched off the cliff_, Ichigo got himself in position. He crouched his legs, placing a hand on Zangetsu's hilt. This was going to be an interesting ride. He wasn't launched off cliffs often, that was more his father's forte- God only knew how many times he had kicked the old man out a window. Shouldn't be that hard to make a landing though, not with his abilities.

"Are you dropping us off or something?"

"No, you will be falling."

Even Ichigo had to admire the deadpan delivery from the elder Professor. He couldn't even tell if the man was amused or not.

"I...see. Did you um, hand out parachutes or something?"

"No, you will use your own landing strategy."

Ichigo would have payed more attention to the rest of the talk, but his turn to launch was about to hit him. As the man in armor flew off the cliff, the teenager turned his head to Yang and Ruby. He allowed a cocky smirk to cross his face, getting a giggle from Ruby and a challenging look from Yang. Oh, he was going to have to compete with that girl for _everything_ wasn't he?

Shaking his head in amusement, Ichigo didn't hear Jaune's next words, as he was launched into the air. The rush of the wind through his hair precluded hearing anything from the other students, all of whom were falling in different directions. Or flailing helplessly, in the case of a certain blonde. In Ichigo's case though, he didn't flail or even do anything fancy.

_Remember what the old man taught me..._

All the teen did was focus his energy into his legs, and shoot into a shunpo. If anyone had been watching him- none were aside from the Professors -they would merely have seen a sudden flash of black, before Ichigo vanished from sight. He exited his shunpo- and reappeared -in front of a tree. Quickly tugging Zangetsu from his sheath, Ichigo stabbed the blade into the trunk of the massive tree. His arm jerked heavily, but the teenagers formidable grip held onto the blade, as it forced him to a halt.

**"Nice landing Kingy."**

_"Eh. Should have managed it without sticking you into a tree."_

The Zanpakutō didn't dispute that point, as Ichigo tugged the blade out and dropped the remaining distance to the ground. Dusting his uniform off, the orange-haired shinigami examined his surroundings. Thick greenery was all he could see in every direction, not one sign of any other students. In the few gaps between the trees he _did_ see the cliffs that surrounded Emerald Forest.

But that hardly helped him any.

"Okay...which direction should I go..." Ichigo muttered under his breath, before pulling out the compass his idiot of a father snuck into his stuff, "Hmm...that's north. Prof said the relics were there."

_"Then we must continue in that direction,"_ the Old Man replied.

Ichigo nodded slightly, "Yeah. But I want to find Ruby or Yang too."

_"Then reach out with your senses."_

Doing as his blade suggested, Ichigo attempted to focus his sensory abilities. It was not an easy task for him by any means though. He was not the best at sensory stuff to begin with- something his father made fun of _all the time_ -and the pervading darkness of the Grimm made it even harder. It didn't help that the teen wasn't _that_ familiar with Ruby or Yang yet. Nonetheless, he had to try.

**"Yang seemed fiery,"** the Hollow suggested, **"Kinda hot too."**

_"How clever."_

**"Hey, she likes puns y'know!"**

Shaking his head while wondering how his blade was so different from himself, Ichigo did focus on something fiery. Where Yang was, Ruby was bound to be close by. At least, he assumed so. Regardless, Ichigo's senses quickly zoned in on a sense of barely controlled fire. If that wasn't the blonde, he would eat his hat...or would, if he had one. Keeping his senses focused on the fire signature, the teen set off into the distance.

Of course, he was so focused on finding one of the sisters, that he didn't notice the red eyes following him through the forest...

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And there we go. The quality isn't what it could be...this was written after I found out the news about Monty. I did what I could but...I hope everyone understands. Let me know if you liked it.<strong>

**Reviews: **

**MEleeSmasher, xbox432, PersonaQeminod1, yiggdrasill, The Digger92, Chaos-Guard, laughingspider, duskrider, Friaku, Guest1, zero, Matt, Cf96, The10thDoctor1964, Exanime Draco, lazylegionspark, Raptor010, JJN37:** Thanks for the reviews!

**P-and-P:** Ichigo is using a sealed blade for now. There will be romance, but I'm not saying who gets with who quite yet.

**IchiFell:** Yeah, for the most part it's going to follow the canon story so it'll probably stay fairly rehashy. That being said, I'm going to deviate as things go on- though the main plot remains the same.

**Dark-heika:** No appearances planned for any other Bleach characters- beyond the Kurosaki family -for now at least. I have ideas floating around in relation to the Grimm, yes. I had wanted to wait for more information from RWBY itself in that regard before committing to anything since it has been said there would be more focus on the Grimm...

But with recent events...I don't know anymore.

**Fifth Horseman:** I'm definetly making an effort to add more details in where I can. There are going to be side-arcs and two major subplots too, so while it'll follow the canon story, there will be deviations.

**hollowichigo12:** It's odd to think of Ichigo as the voice of reason...but it kinda fits in this universe, doesn't it?

**blackdeath34:** He'll have the new dual-Shikai.

**humbertorojo96:** Like I said, I'm putting effort into making subplots and subarcs to work with. I can't give RWBY cast Fullbrings though...the nature of that power precludes it. No Hollows in Remnant=no way to get Hollow reiatsu during pregnancy=no Fullbring. They will be a bit stronger than canonically though. Ichigo himself...I won't say how strong he is yet. Suffice to say, I'm making sure he can't just steamroll everything.

**Guest2:** As above...there will be new arcs, but the main story is the same. Ichigo can't change what he isn't able to influence- namely, the Evil Plan (tm).

**AN: I hope everyone liked the chapter.**

**RIP Monty.**


	4. Players and Pieces

**AN: And here we are with the regularly scheduled chapter. A _massive_ chapter at that, longest I've ever done in fact.  
><strong>

**Or, if you prefer, only 5k words short of the first three _combined_ in length. So, yeah...this one exploded beyond what I thought it would be. Hope everyone enjoys it.**

* * *

><p><strong><strong>Ichigo Kurosaki<strong>**

* * *

><p><strong>"Nice Kingy, you managed to lead us into a nest of the damn things."<strong>

_"Shut_ up!"

_"For once, I do agree with him Ichigo."_

_"You too?!"_

**"Face it Kingy, you messed up big time here."**

Cursing under his breath, Ichigo Kurosaki ducked under the swing of a powerfully built Beowolf. The Grimm lurched over his head, as he brought Zangetsu's blade up and cut clean through the outstretched arm. Roaring in pain, the monster jumped away, clutching the stump of its arm. Ichigo didn't give it long to deal with the pain however, before he flashed forward, and cut the beast in two with the incredibly sharp blade of his sealed Zanpakutō. Spending no more attention on the dissolving body of the Beowolf, the shinigami and hunter in training instead turned towards the veritable _swarm_ of Grimm that had latched onto him. His father had said that Grimm tended to gravitate towards more powerful humans than weaker ones...something about taking out the greater threat.

Well, if the Beowolves and Ursa's surrounding him were any indication, Ichigo was inclined to agree with his old man for once. The Grimm's red eyes- the one true feature that set them apart from the yellow/black eyes of Hollows in appearance -followed his every move. It set him on edge...the darkness was oppressive, even for someone used to a Hollow living in his head. But on top of that...he couldn't predict their movements. Dueling his father, Ichigo could predict the old man's moves to a certain extent...he could _feel_ the soul moving.

The Grimm, lacking a soul, meant he couldn't do the sam...

**"Watch out you moron!"**

Jumping into the air at that shout, Ichigo watched as an Ursa flew underneath where he had been standing. The bear Grimm shook its head, and growled up at him.

_Okay...pay more attention next time..._

Holding Zangetsu in front of him, Ichigo flew back towards the ground. The Ursa swung its massive paw at him, an attack that would have sent most hunters flying. Ichigo was not most hunters...as he twisted his body in a way that most couldn't manage. The paw flew past his face, the wind rustling his hair. His blade didn't miss, as it cut deeply into the Grimm's chest.

"Gotcha..."

Rearing back, the Ursa fell in a heap on the ground. Turning away from it, the shinigami gathered energy in his legs and flashed into a series of shunpos. Limbs flew from Grimm, as they fell to the ground in bloody heaps. Moving so fast that the blood didn't touch him, Ichigo grimaced as Zangetsu cut through another Grimm's head. The armor resisted his blade long enough to slow him down. Slow him down enough...

_"Ichigo!"_

For an old and tall Beowolf, smarter and more wily than its younger counterparts, to notice him struggling to cut through the tough armor of a Grimm, nothing like a Hollow mask. Howling at its younger counterparts, it swung its claws forward as Ichigo finally pulled his blade free. The orangehead's eyes widened, as he lost a bit of hair. If Zangetsu hadn't warned him...

"Damn it! I thought they couldn't see me?"

**"Anyone can see a shunpo if they're smart enough you idiot!"**

_"It's a _Grimm_! They aren't that smart!"_

**"Well this one clearly is! Now stop arguing and kill the damn thing!"**

Not bothering to dispute the point, Ichigo drew Zangetsu back and charged at the old Grimm. The monster just howled again, backing up as a younger Beowolf jumped forward to take the blow. As the teenager pulled his blade out of the body, a third wolf jumped at his back, claws cutting a gash through one of his shoulders. Lacking an Aura in the traditional sense, Ichigo couldn't avoid getting bloodied in a battle...that was why he focused on speed.

When the speed failed him...

"Crap!"

Gritting his teeth, Ichigo spun around and lopped the head off the Grimm that had been licking its claws. The pain in his shoulder faded somewhat as the enhanced healing he had inherited from his Hollow side sealed the wound...but the very fact he had been hit annoyed him. Ichigo was _not_ the type to get hit. That Grimm was way too smart...he knew they got smarter as they got older, so this one had to be ancient.

_"__We knew not all Grimm would be easy to fight."_

_"Yeah..."_

It still pissed him off. He hadn't expected to fight a Grimm that could fight with its brain. _Every other one_ he had fought was the dumb normal variety...creatures of instinct that existed entirely to hunt and kill mankind. He had never fought one of the old ones that was actually smart. With that knowledge in mind, Ichigo's eyes began to glow blue, as his blade took on an equally blue glow. Swinging the sword at the old Grimm, Ichigo shouted two simple words...

"Getsuga Tensho!"

The teen had wanted to avoid using his signature attack...it didn't quite work properly without Shikai, and there was the risk of inadvertently hitting another student. But he wanted that Grimm _dead_. And as the blue energy wave shot forward, the Grimm couldn't do anything but howl as it was cut in two. The Getsuga continued on into the sky, trees falling to the ground around it. With his greatest threat gone, Ichigo turned back to the other Grimm. The remaining Beowolves, now outnumbered by the Ursa, howled angrily at the death of their Alpha Male.

**"Great, you made them angry."**

_"They already wanted to kill me!"_

**"And now they want to kill ya more. Nice one."**

_"You are _really_ not helping right now."_

Ignoring his unhelpful spirit, Ichigo expected to have to dodge an attack. But they didn't charge him...likely because of the Getsuga. Only he and his father could use an attack like that...and the Grimm clearly didn't know how to react to it. And that worked perfectly fine for him. Ichigo preferred fighting enemies that _didn't_ throw themselves at him.

Zangetsu was much the same, at least the Quincy side. Frankly, he preferred avoiding battles if at all possible. As part of his goal of protecting Ichigo...even from himself, sometimes.

_"Remember Ichigo, we need not fight all the Grimm."_

_"I know that. But we're already here, and if I do this...they can't hurt anyone else."_

There was silence for a second, before Zangetsu's Quincy side replied, _"__Very well. But be careful."_

Turning his attention back to the Grimm, Ichigo's scowl deepened slightly as he held his blade by his side. The dark creatures growled at him, flexing powerful muscles that could tear the average human limb from limb with very little difficulty.

"Alright, which one of you is next?"

* * *

><p><strong>Blake Belladonna<strong>

* * *

><p>Ears twitching slightly, Blake Belladonna looked up into the sky. Birds scattered as a massive blue...something...shot into the air. Her amber eyes narrowed, a curious look overcoming her normally emotionless facade. The crescent shaped blue thing flew into the sky, only dissipating after flying higher than the nearby cliff. And she had exactly no idea what that had been. She was a bit of a scholar with all the reading she did, but even so, the dark-haired teenager had never seen anything like that blue thing. Or felt anything like it...because she had felt <em>something<em> when it flew into the air. Something she had never felt, and wasn't sure she wanted to feel again without knowing the source.

Because that was clearly not a flare or something like that. The trees that had fallen with it...and the fact it looked much more like...

"Jeez," Yang broke in, "Someone got angry. Wonder who can pull that type of attack off?"

Turning her head to her new partner, Blake tilted it slightly, "Sure that's an attack?"

"Seemed like it. Trees fell with it, and no flare's doing that."

"But who could it be," the other girl muttered softly.

Yang shrugged, "No idea. Probably Ichigo."

"Hmm?"

"Seems like something he'd do," the blonde shrugged before looking in the distance, "Come on! That temple has to be close by!"

Blake smiled slightly at Yang's endless energy, sparing one last look at the sky before following the other girl. She wasn't sure that whatever that was had been the orange-haired student, but then again, she didn't know him. She had only talked to Ichigo Kurosaki once, and while he seemed nice enough- and understood her desire for peace and quiet -she couldn't say she knew what types of powers he had. Yang would probably know better, having met him earlier.

That being said, the girl couldn't deny that the idea of _anyone_ doing something like that intrigued her.

"Hey Blake," Yang spoke up.

The dark-haired girl turned her head, an eyebrow going up. Yang was looking at her curiously, though her eyes seemed focused on something else. The grin that seemed welded on her face wasn't changing though. The girl was so...chipper...that Blake almost didn't know how to act around her. Stuff like this wasn't something she was used to, by any means. Most people she knew were like her...or so angry at the world they could never smile. Giving a minute shake of her head to clear those depressing thoughts, Blake focused back on her new partner.

"What?"

"Any idea how the teams are going to be formed?"

An eyebrow went higher, as Blake thought over the question. And realized she didn't have a real idea.

"No," she answered shortly.

Yang kicked a rock, shrugging, "Just wondering. I know Ruby wants to be on my team, but I don't know how to make that happen."

"Ruby...your sister, right?" Blake asked.

"Yup," the taller girl shrugged again, "I want her to be happy, and I know she wants on my team."

"And that is why you want her on your team?"

The other girl sighed, "Yeah."

Blake could actually understand that to some extent. She didn't have siblings, but that didn't mean she couldn't understand wanting to keep someone close to you happy. She understood _that_ perfectly well. But she still didn't have an answer for Yang. None of the students knew how the teams were formed.

"Come on," the dark-haired girl said instead, continuing to move through the forest.

"Coming!" Yang shouted back, her normal attitude returning quickly.

Trudging through the dense bush, the two girls lapsed into a comfortable silence. Blake wasn't the talkative sort, so she was perfectly fine with that of course. It was a bit of a relief actually...she didn't want to talk that much with Yang yet. Partners for the rest of their time at Beacon or not...she wasn't the type to trust quickly. The silent walk was giving her time to evaluate the blonde.

And, if she was being honest, Blake liked what she saw. Yang was bubbly to an extreme, which would normally bug her. But the blonde didn't annoy her somehow. She was extremely kind...and that was something that the dark-haired girl wasn't used to. Yang hadn't once complained about who she ended up with, even after she admitted to wanting to find Ruby. She had accepted Blake without complaint, and without question.

_I...I don't know how to act..._

Naturally, Blake was unused to this. People had never just _accepted_ her without question.

"Think that's it?" Yang's voice broke into her thoughts, dragging Blake's attention back to the blonde.

Sitting in a clearing beneath the hill the pair was standing on, was a ruined building. Stone, weathered by the ages, sat forlornly at the center of the clearing. If the situation were any different, the girl would have written it off as an old ruin, useful only for temporary shelter. Of course, the fact it was a circular construct screamed 'temple' to her. The row of glinting objects on suspiciously intact pedestals might also have something to do with it.

So she just turned to her partner, and cast a short 'what do _you_ think' look at her. Yang just smiled back, shaking her own head slightly.

"Right, stupid question."

The pair of teenage girls walked into the old temple, with easily identifiable 'relics'. So easily identifiable, that Blake felt her eyebrow rise up on its own.

_Can't be...that's too simple._

"Chess pieces?" she spoke aloud, looking at the black and gold pieces.

Yang hummed in thought, "Looks like it. Aaaaannnddd looks like we weren't the first ones here."

Mildly annoyed/amused at the way Yang drew out her words or not, Blake did agree with her. Several of the pieces, black most notably, were already missing. That meant the others had already arrived...the question then became, _who_ had already arrived? Ruby and Ichigo? Probably not those two at least...if what Blake had seen of Ruby was any indication, that girl would have stayed around until her sister showed up or she was forced to leave. Ichigo, on the other hand, seemed the type to stick around just to make sure everyone got out safely.

"Well, I guess we should pick one."

"Yup," the blonde replied, with emphasis on the 'p'.

Splitting up, the teens looked at each of the pieces to decide which one would be _theirs. _Blake looked at the black pieces, trying to decide which one fit..._her_...well. If she had to pick just one, she wanted it to be a good one...who knew how the Professors were judging the 'relics'. As such, she almost immediately discarded the pawn. The nature of that piece, used to occupy the opponent and hopefully get a hit in before being destroyed, brought up some very unsavory memories. She moved on to the next piece in line...the black king.

She didn't have any time to put thought into it however. Because a cheerful shout from behind her drew the girl's attention back to her new partner. Yang wore a childish and gleeful grin on her face, as she held up the white knight.

"How about a cute little pony?"

The way Yang said that got a smile and eye roll out of Blake. Her partner was childish...but it was nice in a way.

"Sure," Blake replied, walking over to Yang.

"That wasn't that hard," the teen in question said.

Shrugging slightly, her partner didn't dispute the point, "Well, it's not like this place is very hard to find."

Clearly, that was the truth. They weren't the first to arrive after all. It probably wouldn't take long for the others to find it honestly. Yang had launched herself farther into the forest than anyone else- and had been lucky Blake noticed her when she did -and they had still found it fairly fast after all. Honestly, Blake didn't think it would be any more than a handful of minutes before the rest arrived. Including whoever had used that attack, because it had been pointed in the direction of the temple. As she was about to mention that to Yang, the girl's highly sensitive ears picked up on something. The sound of...a really big bird.

Yang, on the other hand, picked up on something rather easier to hear.

"Some girls in trouble!" the blonde shouted, as a very feminine shriek cut through the forest, "Blake, did you hear that?!"

Oh, she had heard it. But Blake was rather distracted, as she looked up into the sky. The sky, where a _massive_ Grimm was flying overhead. A Grimm with two specks hanging onto its talons...one red and black, the other pure white. Specks that could only be two things...Ruby Rose and Weiss Schnee. Why in the name of God they were hanging onto _a Nevermore_ was beyond her however. All Blake could do was stare in shock, zoning out to what Yang was saying.

"Blake, what are we going to do?"

All the girl could do in reply to Yang's question, was point up at the sky as the red speck fell away from the Nevermore...

* * *

><p><strong>Yang Xiao Long<strong>

* * *

><p>Thing had been going so well, Yang reflected. Perhaps too well...nothing had gone wrong from the moment she was launched. She nailed her landing, despite launching herself <em>further<em> than was needed. Sure, she had run into a couple of Ursa. But they hadn't been even the slightest threat, though she was still smarting over the one that cut her hair, regardless of the fact she punched it into a smoldering pulp, taking a dozen trees with it. Blake was a good partner, if a bit quiet. And the two of them had quite easily found the temple, without any backtracking or getting lost. Sure they hadn't been the first and that bugged Yang's competitive side. But she and Blake had still gotten here before most people, if the number of pieces left was any indication. Thus, the blonde was confident in saying her day had been a good one.

Until now.

"Blake, what are we going to do?" Yang asked, turning to her partner as the screams in the distance continued.

All the dark-haired girl did was look up and point up though. Following her finger, Yang felt her eyes widen.

"Heeeeaddddsss uppppp!" Ruby screamed, falling from the sky.

_Ruby...what? How?_

Feeling shock set in, the older girl watched as her sister fell towards the ground. Her already pale complexion was ghost-white with fear, as her eyes widened to what would be- in any other situation -comical proportions. Yang didn't even know how to react...but she was ready to jump to her sister's rescue if she need to. But before she could, a black and orange blur jumped from the forest, and caught Ruby.

The blur landed next to the two partners, who were rapidly blinking their eyes- totally missing Jaune go flying into a tree in the process -as it coalesced into Ichigo, Ruby safely in his arms.

"Next time, try not jumping from so high," the orangehead said dryly, as he set a furiously blushing Ruby on the ground.

As amusing as the situation could have been, Yang just ran up to her sister.

"Ruby!"

"Yang?"

Both of the sisters pulled the other into a hug, one of relief more than anything. At least in Yang's case. She didn't show it, but she _had_ been worried when Ruby was falling from the sky like that. It was a relief to have her okay and on the ground now, a _big_ relief. As such, she turned to Ichigo to thank him for plucking Ruby from her fall. Only for her eyebrow to go up, when she noticed the torn outfit he was sporting. There were clearly cuts on his back, which meant he had gotten in a fight.

Maybe that blue thing _had_ been him?

"Thanks for that Ichigo," Yang shook her head to clear her thoughts as she spoke.

"Eh, no big deal. Couldn't let her hit the ground could I?"

"I would have landed..." Ruby complained.

Shaking her head in amusement now, the blonde ruffled her sisters short hair. The shorter girl complained and swatted at her sisters hand, but all that did was bring a smirk to Yang's face.

"Be more careful next time sis. I don't want Ichigo here to have to save you again!"

The teen in question shrugged, "I'd do it again."

Ruby's face just went redder, "Yang! I can handle myself!"

"So says the person who decided sky-diving without a landing strategy was a good idea," Yang dryly replied.

Before the pair could _really_ get into a play argument, Blake coughed lightly. The dark-haired girl pointed at the forest, where trees were falling to the ground. An Ursa came stomping through the falling foliage, growling all the way. Yang cocked her Ember Celica, as Ichigo placed a hand on his blade's hilt. The pair sent nods at the other, ready to kill the _hell_ out of that Grimm.

...only for a pink explosion to appear behind its head. The Ursa let out a whimper, toppling forward. A girl with red, almost dark orange, hair appeared on top of it, falling forward off the Grimm's back. Yang dropped her arms, and her jaw. She wasn't sure how to react...to the fact that girl had evidently _ridden an Ursa_ to the Temple.

"Aww, it's broken," the mystery girl complained, like the massive monster was a toy.

A panting male stumbled out from behind the Ursa at that point, holding his side as he leaned against the slowly fading Grimm, "Nora...don't ever do that again..."

Yang didn't pay him any more attention after he said that however. Because 'Nora' had just moved like she had Ruby's Semblance- shocking even the girl in question -and was currently staring at a gold chess piece. Trying to process how the girl had gone from the Ursa to the temple so quickly, Yang was beginning to be overwhelmed by everything going on. She hadn't even had time to process the first girly scream, leave alone everything that happened since.

_Can everyone_ please_ calm down?!_

Fate didn't want to go easy on the blonde, however.

"I'm queen of the castle, I'm queen of the castle!" Nora started singing next to Yang, balancing her chosen chess piece on random parts of her body.

"Nora!" the man shouted, clearly just as frustrated as Yang was with the spastic girl.

Who merely dropped the piece off her head and started moving back to her friend, "Coming Ren!"

"Did she just ride in on an Ursa?" Blake asked, sounding like she was trying to make sense of the madness.

"I think so..." Ichigo agreed, sounding dumbfounded by the situation.

Unfortunately, all the 'trying to make sense of things' did was start Yang's temper up. She could feel the volcano of fire building, as she tried to make sense of things herself. Ruby falling from the sky. A girl riding an _Ursa_. And now a _Deathstalker chasing Pyrrha Nikos_ out of the forest. It just never ended! What was she supposed to do about this madness?!

"Jaune!" the redhead in question shouted.

"Pyrrha!" a male voice shouted, reminding Yang of _another_ thing. Namely, the blonde vomit-boy currently hanging from a tree.

Blake didn't help matters, "Did she just run here with a Deathstalker on her tail?"

Ruby nodded, "Yeah...whoa..."

Ichigo, at least, seemed to notice Yang's rising temper. He slowly backed away from the blonde, who felt the fire rising faster than she could control it. Growling, she opened her eyes, now blood red instead of soothing lilac. Fire flashed around her, as her hair started glowing. Ruby jumped away, well-experienced with Yang's explosive temper. Ichigo backed further away, wincing slightly. Yang didn't notice the wince of course...she was seeing red, figuratively and literally.

"I can't take it anymore!" the blonde shouted, as fire flew from her body, "Could everyone just chill out for two seconds before something crazy happens again?!"

"Geez..." Ichigo muttered as Yang slowly calmed down, panting heavily, "Remind me not to get you angry."

"Yang always was like that," Ruby said with a chuckle, before looking up at the sky and frowning, "Umm...Yang?"

Slumping her shoulders, Yang didn't even bother looking up. She was just tired now, and didn't even care. Of course, the shout from above meant she couldn't _completely_ ignore it. Or rather, ignore _her_. Since high in the air, Weiss Schnee still held onto one of the talons of the truly massive Nevermore. The fact she hadn't fallen yet was a miracle.

"How could you leave me?!" her voice faintly reached the ground, as the speck started slipping.

Blake looked at the speck, a hint of amusement in her voice, "She's going to fall."

"She'll be fine," Ruby countered.

"She's falling," Ren didn't even try to hide his amusement at the situation.

For her part, Yang just slumped her shoulders and shook her head. She saw Ichigo crouch down out of the corner of her eye, however, and turned to look at the other teen.

_Is he...going to jump? What is he, a bunny?_

He didn't get the chance though. As Ichigo readied himself to jump- or so Yang assumed anyway -Jaune flew out of nowhere and caught Weiss quite gently for how clumsy he usually was. Of course, he had forgotten one _little_ detail in that plan. Strongly tempted to place her palm in her face like she had seen Ichigo do, Yang sighed softly. Right as Jaune and Weiss seemed to realize that his little save hadn't actually stopped them from falling. Cue screams, as the two fell the remaining distance to the ground. The blonde boy landed first, flat on his face.

Weiss landed second, right on top of Jaune's back, as Pyrrha continued to run from the large Grimm in the background. In any other situation, it would have been all sorts of amusing.

"My back..." Jaune pitifully moaned.

"My hero," Weiss said, casually picking at her nails.

As the pair had their moment of comedy, Pyrrha was finally caught by the Deathstalker. And promptly catapulted towards the others, landing in a heap next to Ichigo. Who looked down, clearly unsure if he should stick a hand out or not.

"Eh...you okay down there?" he asked warily.

The girl just moved slightly, showing she was still conscious at least. That didn't solve the roaming Grimm issue in the slightest however.

"Great, the gangs all here," Yang spoke up, her sarcastic side coming out with her frustration at the situation, "Now we can all die together."

Unfortunately, for all that Ruby knew her sister well, she wasn't the best at detecting sarcasm. Before Yang knew what was happening, her sister had unfurled Crescent Rose, and was staring at the rapidly approaching scorpion with an eager gleam in her silver eyes. Her elder sister knew very well what _that_ look meant. And she felt a cold chill quench the fire of her annoyance, as she knew exactly what Ruby was about to do. And there wasn't a damn thing she could do to stop it, as the younger girl started sprinting towards the Deathstalker.

"Yaaaahhh!" Ruby shouted, firing her weapon to increase her speed even further.

"Ruby, wait!" Yang shouted back, eyes widening in a mix of shock and fear for her sister.

She didn't slow down in the slightest however. In fact, Ruby raised Crescent Rose in a way that she was ready to strike, blade pointed at the Deathstalker...while still able to shoot and use that boost for her Semblance. What the younger girl hadn't anticipated, couldn't have anticipated, was that the Grimm was _not_ slow for its size. As Ruby brought her scythe down on its head, the Deathstalker swung one of its claws out. Ruby barely got her blade up in time to take the hit, and was still sent flying a fair distance from the impact. Stumbling to her feet, the girl looked over at her sister and friends. A smile was on her face, like she _hadn't_ just been flung like a toy by a massive Grimm.

"Don't worry, totally fine!"

Even as she said that though, Ruby turned around and saw the Deathstalker rapidly approaching. Realizing the situation she was in, the girl fired Crescent Rose at the scorpions face. And promptly started running away, as the bullet merely bounced off its tough armor.

Yang felt a rush of fear run down her spine, as she started running towards her sister herself, "Ruby!"

The sisters ran towards each other, as both of the massive Grimm in the area focused on the younger one. Yang pushed her legs harder than she could remember ever pushing them, wanting nothing more than to reach Ruby and protect her. But as she ran, the Nevermore folded its wings in front of its massive body, and began flinging its equally massive feathers like missiles.

_No!_

Forced to a halt by the feathers, Yang could only watch as one of them caught Ruby's hood. The younger girl was forced to a halt, as she struggled to pull herself free. Yang crawled forward, pushing through the web of feathers.

"Ruby! Get out of there!"

"I'm trying!"

Even as Ruby said that, Yang knew she couldn't escape. Her hood was pierced to the ground, and the Deathstalker was already swinging its stinger down.

_Ruby! Nononononononononono...Ruby!_

The blonde had only felt this fear once before. The fear of losing her sister...and knowing there was nothing she could do about it. Yang reached her hand out, desperately reaching for her sibling. The ice in her heart grew as the stinger descended...there was nothing...she was going to lose her sister. It felt like the stinger was hitting _her_.

"Ruby!"

Screaming her sister's name, Yang resisted every impulse to shut her eyes. Even as two bursts of wind flew past her, ruffling her long hair. Black and white blurs...that even her fear-soaked mind could recognize as Ichigo and Weiss.

"I gotcha," Ichigo's surprisingly soft and comforting voice suddenly spoke up beside Yang.

Turning her head so fast she almost hurt it, the blonde felt her eyes widen. She hadn't seen him move...but once again, Ichigo had saved her sister. He was gently setting Ruby on the ground, the short girl's eyes squeezed shut in her own fear.

"Huh..." Ruby muttered, slowly opening her eyes, "Ichigo?"

The other teen nodded, "Yep. Didn't I just tell you to be more careful?"

While Yang could admire the fact that the orangehead could make a joke out of even this situation, it didn't stop her from pushing him aside and pulling her sister into a bone-crushing hug. Ruby sputtered, flailing her arms wildly as her sibling squeezed her tightly. Yang didn't care though...what mattered to her, was that Ruby was okay. The pain of not being able to do anything still lingered in her heart, and if hugging Ruby like she might vanish made it better...then hug her sister she would.

"I was so worried!"

"Can't...breathe..."

As her sister's face turned progressively redder- and not from embarrassment this time -Yang finally realized that she might have been holding on a bit _too_ tightly.

"I think she got the point."

Ichigo's typical dry delivery helped too.

"Sorry!" Yang released her sister, leading to Ruby sucking in deep breaths of air.

Coughing slightly, the girl looked at her sister, "I'm fine Yang!"

"Heh..." scratching her head slightly, the blonde felt a flush coming to _her_ cheeks now.

"Oh come on!" Weiss' voice interrupted the moment.

The white haired girl was standing next to the Deathstalker, ice radiating out from where she had stabbed her blade into the ground. The stinger of the massive Grimm was caught in the ice, positioned just high enough it wouldn't have struck Ruby. Despite all the dislike Yang had seen between her sister and the heiress...Weiss would have saved her if Ichigo hadn't been there.

Looks like she'd have to thank Weiss later. At the moment though, there wasn't really time for that. While the girl's ice attack was impressive, it wouldn't hold such a large Grimm for long. And that Nevermore was still circling above them. Staying near the temple wasn't a good idea.

"Weiss?" Ruby was more interested in what the other girl had done, of course.

Stomping over to the little group, the white-haired girl huffed, "I had a speech all ready before orange saved you."

Ichigo scowled, "You're welcome."

Completely ignoring the taller teen, Weiss launched into the speech anyway, "You're childish...hyperactive, dimwitted, and don't even get me started on your fighting style."

"Is this really the time for this?" Ichigo broke in, just getting a glare in return.

"And I suppose I can be a bit...difficult. But if we're going to be partners, we're going to have to work together," the heiress took a breath, before finishing, "So if you stop trying to show off, I'll be...nicer."

With her piece said, Weiss walked back to the temple. Ichigo, Ruby and Yang just looked at each other, then at Weiss, and then back at each other. Not one of them knew how to react to _that_ one. Yang especially, who had expected Weiss to be angry or annoyed at having to save Ruby- leaving aside Ichigo doing it for her. Instead...she had seemed...more worried than anything, hence the rant.

Very odd.

"Guys!" Jaune broke in this time, pointing at the sky, "That thing is circling back around! What do we do?"

"I say we get out of here," Ichigo shrugged.

"I agree!" Ruby pumped her fist slightly.

Yang's eyebrow went up, "You don't want to fight sis? Who are you, and what did you do with Ruby?"

Jokes aside, Weiss scoffed slightly, "Clearly, fighting these is a bad idea. Look, all we have to do is get a relic and return to the cliffs."

"Yeah! That's what I meant," the youngest girl smiled at her sister, "There isn't any point fighting these things."

"Run and live?" Jaune mused, "I can work with that."

As Ruby went to grab her and Weiss' piece- a pony too! -Yang felt a smirk tugging at her lips. It had taken something that would quite likely give her nightmares...but her sister was becoming a leader. Jaune and the others...they had no problem following her. There was no hesitation whatsoever...and it brought a warm feeling back to Yang's heart. A feeling completely unlike the fire of her anger too.

"She's a good leader," Ichigo said, standing beside the blonde.

"Yeah," Yang agreed softly.

Patting his friend on the shoulder, the teenager nodded slightly, "Bet you're proud. And I guess I should pick a piece too. What'd you get?"

The elder sister didn't dispute the 'proud' bit, as she dug around in her ammo pouch and held up the Knight...the pony, "A cute little pony."

"Knight...it fits."

With those words, Ichigo walked past Yang and grabbed a golden Knight himself. As he was the last one to pick his piece, the group gathered together again...right as ominous cracking noises came from the ice encased Deathstalker. Weiss' ice began to shatter from the center where it held the stinger. The muscles in the monsters tail showed visible strain, as it tugged its body to the side. The prison wasn't going to last much longer...

"It's time we go," Ren spoke what everyone was thinking.

"Come on!" Ruby waved, charging up the hill with everyone following her.

Everyone but Yang, who just watched her go with her proud smirk growing. The rest of the teens ran past her, following Ruby who only looked back long enough to wave a hand before she continued past her sister's sight. Blake and Ichigo stopped next to Yang, instead of running right away though. The latter just had a knowing look on his face, as he nodded once before moving on himself.

Blake, by contrast, looked at her partner, "Something up?"

"No, nothing," Yang just smiled again, before going after her sister.

She didn't notice Blake smiling in the background, as the other girl left the temple empty behind her.

* * *

><p><strong>Ichigo Kurosaki<strong>

* * *

><p>As the group ran for the cliff, the Nevermore circling above them, Ichigo ran through various plans in his head. The others may not have realized it, but it was clear that the massive bird was <em>very<em> determined to kill them. They had gotten its attention, and Grimm were nothing if not persistent. There was not a chance in hell they were reaching the cliff with it alive...something would have to be done to kill it. Quite likely the same was true for the Deathstalker...that ice wasn't going to hold it forever. Frankly, knowing his luck, Ichigo assumed it had already broken. And if it had, the massive scorpion was going to be close behind. Hence, the reason they would have to find a plan that killed two Grimm with one stone. It was just unfortunate that said Grimm were the largest he had ever seen in person.

Actually killing them was going to take a creative plan. And as he ducked behind a pillar with the sisters, Ichigo acknowledged he didn't have the slightest idea. The area they were in wasn't helping matters. It was nothing but a long cobbled path with ruined pillars on either side, and a massive ruined structure in front of the cliff. It looked more like a temple than the temple they had left...but it didn't help fight the Grimm. There wasn't anywhere to set an ambush, or anything like that. Just wide-open territory.

_"Any ideas Zangetsu?"_

**"Shikai Getsuga to the face?"** the Hollow, unsurprisingly, went for the brute-force option.

_"That would not work,"_ the Quincy countered.

_"Why?"_

**"Yeah, why?!"**

Inwardly amused at agreeing with his Hollow aside, Ichigo didn't know why that plan wouldn't work. Surely these Grimm couldn't survive that attack?

_"The Nevermore is far too agile. It would not be hit by a Getsuga easily. In addition, the Deathstalker armor is tough, perhaps tough enough to survive."_

Ichigo could acknowledge his blade's points. He didn't agree, but he could acknowledge them. There wasn't time to argue however, as the Nevermore landed atop the building in the distance and screeched at an almost earsplitting level.

"Great, now what?" Yang complained, peaking her head out of cover.

"We kil..." Ichigo began, before the sound of snapping trees drew attention away from the bird.

And towards the Deathstalker, thoroughly anger and eager to kill the humans who had dared to disturb it. The scorpion smashed a tree aside, and charged at the students. Who had quickly found themselves boxed in between two massive Grimm, both quite eager to kill them. Just like Ichigo had expected to happen. Expecting it and being happy about it were two entirely different things of course. Scowling in frustration now, he drew Zangetsu and turned towards the Deathstalker.

"Oh man! We need to get out of here!" Jaune shouted, as the orangehead prepared to fight.

'Get out of there' proved to be popular. Everyone made a break for the bridge and ruin, except for Ichigo who moved to cover the retreat. He was aware of the Nevermore screeching behind him and taking flight, but all the teen's attention was focused on the scorpion. That seemed to have recognized _him_ as the greatest threat, if the way it was charging the teen was any indication.

"Nora! Distract it!" Ren's voice shouted from behind Ichigo, followed by the sound of feathers impacting the ground and grenades exploding.

The teenager didn't bother turning his head however. He just brought Zangetsu in front of his body...and flashed at the Grimm. The Deathstalker raised its claws to impale the foolish human attacking it...but Ichigo was nothing if not agile. Twisting his body as he had done against the Ursa earlier, he brought Zangetsu down on the tough Hollow-like armor of the Grimm. The bright blade clashed against the dull-white carapace, sparks flying at first. Gritting his teeth, and ignoring the roar of pain from the Grimm, Ichigo put more strength into his arms.

Zangetsu's blade made a screeching noise...as it cleaved through the Grimm's armor. Dragging his blade across the face of the Deathstalker, Ichigo popped one of its eyes before he was forced to jump back to avoid its stinger.

**"Nice one Kingy!"**

_"That armor is tough..."_

"Ichigo!" Yang's voice broke into the mental discussion, forcing the teen to look over his head. Whereupon he realized that the rest of the group was rapidly approaching the bridge.

While he could have airwalked to the other side if needed, Ichigo didn't want to get separated from the group. So he flashed towards the other students, as Weiss grabbed Nora while Blake and Ren kept the Deathstalker, roaring in pain and shaking its head, busy. Rushing across the bridge, the orangehead angled for Yang, who was waving him on...

_"Ichigo!"_

Only for the Nevermore to swoop out of nowhere, taking out the bridge. Ichigo grit his teeth, as he crossed the remaining distance in a Shunpo...leaving Blake, Pyrrha and Ren on the other side with the now _very_ angry Deathstalker. The other students were showing their own skill, with Ren and Pyrrha accurately targeting the gaping wound in its head with their guns...but the small rounds didn't do anything near enough damage. All they did was make it even angrier- if that was even possible -leading to Blake getting sent head-over-heels into the chasm that was the ruined bridge.

"Blake!" Ichigo shouted, ready to jump off the edge himself...only for a _clunk_ to echo from behind him.

Turning his head, he saw the dark-haired girl flipping up to the bridge, a black cord attached to her gun-sword. She sent him a dry look, clearly saying 'don't worry about _me_'. Allowing his scowl to morph into a small smile, Ichigo nodded and turned his attention back to the Deathstalker as Ruby's gunfire drove the Nevermore off for the moment.

"We have to get over there!" Jaune ran up next to the orangehead, with Nora right next to him.

"Let's do this!" the girl shouted eagerly.

Jaune looked down, "Umm...yeah, but I can't make that jump."

**"Kingy...that grin is freaking _me_ out..."**

Taking his blade's words to heart, Ichigo looked over at Nora. Who indeed had a scary grin on her face. Acting almost on instinct, Ichigo jumped into the air...right as Nora swept her grenade launcher out, knocking Jaune on his ass. Whereupon she promptly transformed the weapon into a hammer, and spun around.

_She wouldn't..._

Flipping back further towards where Ruby continued to fire on the Nevermore, Ichigo winced as Nora brought her hammer onto the ruined bridge, shattering it further. And, coincidentally, shooting Jaune head-over-heels towards the Deathstalker. Nora just _used her hammer as a rocket_, shooting into position to bring it down on the creature's head, cracking its armor further.

Turning away from the roar of pain, Ichigo scowled as the Nevermore circled back around.

_"If we take higher ground, it will be easier to dodge it,"_ the Quincy portion of his blade suggested.

_"Good point."_

It seemed like the others realized the same, as the girls had moved to the circular ring of the central ruin. All of them had their weapons drawn and pointed at the rapidly approaching Grimm, ready to attack.

"Let's hit it with everything we've got!" Yang shouted, a hint of eagerness working its way into her voice.

_Everything we've got..._

Ichigo knew Yang didn't know about his Shikai. But if he was going to give this fight more than the bare minimum...it was time to break that out. So as Ruby unfurled Crescent Rose next to him, Ichigo held Zangetsu in front of his body, the blade pointing out at the Nevermore. Blue energy began to roar around his body, getting wide eyed looks from Ruby and Yang, while Blake and Weiss focused on the Grimm.

"What the hell Ichigo! Control your Aura before you blind us more than your sunny hair!" Yang protested, even as she prepared to shoot at the Nevermore.

The teen didn't respond, however, as he opened his eyes, the brown orbs glowing equally blue.

"Cast off your fear and cleave the heavens," he spoke firmly, "Zangetsu!"

Flashing around him in a barely restrained pillar of light, Ichigo felt his power skyrocketing as it was released from the bonds that sealing his blade left it in. It felt..._good_.

**"Damn right! Let's show that bird what happens when he messes with us!"** the Hollow agreed wholeheartedly.

As the smoke cleared, Ichigo could feel the shocked eyes of the girls on him. It was easy to understand. Where before he had held a long daito, unique in Remnant to his knowledge but still fairly _normal_ looking, he now held two blades. Pitch black weapons, one a trench knife, the other a massive khyber knife...though to the girls, it looked like a slim meat cleaver, with a hollowed out portion near the hilt.

For his part, Ichigo didn't even bother looking at his blades. He was as familiar with his Shikai as he was his own arms and legs.

"What...is that..." even Blake had confusion in her voice, as she looked at the weapon.

"I'll explain later," Ichigo replied, "Kill Grimm now, explain my weapon later."

Shaking their heads, the girls didn't dispute the point. Though Ichigo could still feel Ruby's eyes on his swords, well aware that only the Nevermore was keeping her from jumping him and asking a million questions about Zangetsu.

"He has a point," Weiss agreed.

All of them began firing attacks at the Nevermore, blue energy from Weiss, orange-red shells from Yang, purple tracers from Blake and Ruby's colorless rifle fire. For his part...Ichigo raised his larger blade, blue energy once more gathering along it. Then Nevermore shrugged off the concentrated fire from the girls, but Ichigo wasn't going to let it just shrug off _his_ attack. As the energy became almost blinding, he brought Zangetsu down in a sharp swing, saying the same words he had earlier.

"Getsuga Tensho!"

Unlike the unstable attack he had used on the Beowolf, this Getsuga was fully and properly formed. The massive crescent of blue energy arced right at the Nevermore, joining the attacks from his partners. The Grimm, while not as smart as the one earlier, was smart enough to recognize the Getsuga as a threat however. It turned its massive bulk faster than should have been possible, leaving Ichigo's attack carving into its flank, instead of its face...just as Zangetsu had said.

Even with that, it managed to do enough damage to send the Nevermore crashing through the ruin, with a screech of pain as blood flew into the air.

"Nice shot!" Yang complimented, before the group felt the ruin shifting beneath them, "Oh shi..."

Before any more could be said, the old stone fell towards the ground, forcing the team to make a run for it. Ichigo lost track of the others in the commotion, as he jumped from stone to stone, using more shunpos than he had in a long time- including his earlier battle.

**"That should have killed it!"**

_"Not the time!"_

Ichigo may have agreed with his blade. But as he jumped onto another portion of the ruin, he suddenly had another issue to deal with. Namely a _very_ angry Grimm that now had a grudge against him. The Nevermore, rising from the canyon, was bleeding heavily from the Getsuga wound. But it wasn't dead...and it screeched louder than ever, as it dove on Ichigo.

Who attempted to pull another Getsuga out, only for the ruins he was standing on to collapse as the bird moved faster than he thought it was capable of. Forced back into the air, Ichigo quickly realized one thing...

_That thing is after me!_

And indeed, the Nevermore was ignoring everything but Ichigo, filled with a single-minded determination to kill the human that had wounded it so grievously. It didn't even react to Yang pumping fire into its flanks. Every bit of the Grimm's attention was focused on killing Ichigo. And it was making it extremely difficult for him to get any hits on it.

_"Attack its flank,"_ Zangetsu suggested.

Not bothering to reply this time, Ichigo pushed his energy into his legs once more, flashing around a lunge from the Grimm. The bird wasn't able to react in time, before he brought his twin blades down on its already injured flank, Getsugas held in the blades to do more damage. The blue coated blades cut through the Grimm's tough skin, carving a cross-shaped gash into its side, wounding it even further.

The bird screeched in pain, bringing its wing down to force Ichigo to back off. Flipping back, Ichigo scowled as the Nevermore stated moving slower. He hadn't killed it, but it was clearly hurt bad.

"One more hit should do it," he muttered, preparing to run forward again.

"Ichigo!" only for Ruby's voice to distract him.

Sparing a moment to turn his head, Ichigo's eyes widened. His new friend was standing atop Crescent Rose, with the rope from Blake's weapon holding her and the scythe up. Weiss had one of her glyph things behind Ruby, and the two teens were aiming _right at him_.

Or, rather, right at the Nevermore behind him.

"Distract it!" Ruby continued.

Shaking his head, the orangehead didn't know how to react other than shouting, "You're crazy!"

"We know!" Weiss agreed.

Crazy plan or not, Ichigo would do his part. If he would have to work with a team, now was as good a time to start as any. So with scowl firmly welded onto his face, he fired another Getsuga at the Nevermore, clipping its wing as the bird was too wounded and tired to dodge fully anymore. It screeched at him, moving as fast as it was still able in an attempt to kill him once and for all.

_Come on...follow me..._

Ichigo proceeded to use the way it focused its attention on him to draw it towards the cliff. He didn't know exactly what the girls were planning...beyond apparently launching Ruby like a cannonball...but they were aiming in that direction. And so, he continued to launch attacks at the Nevermore, keeping its attention on him and not on the girls. It worked wonderfully, as the bird ran into the cliff when he shunpoed out of the way.

"Yaaahhh!"

And was promptly hit by a flying red rose. Ruby's scythe was large enough that she was able to hook it around the Nevermore's neck, the bird screeching in rage and pain. As Ichigo flashed down next to the girls, a Getsuga still held in his blades if he needed it, Weiss created a row of glyphs along the cliff-face...giving Ruby enough of a boost to charge up the rock with the Nevermore held firmly in her scythe's blade. Casting a quick look at Weiss as the girl fell to her knees from overusing her semblance, Ichigo turned back to Ruby.

Just in time to see her reach the top of the cliff...sending the Nevermore's head flying off its body. The massive bird collapsed to the canyon floor, dissolving with rose petals floating around the cliff. Ruby walked to the edge of the cliff, a grin on her face as she waved down on the other students. Ichigo couldn't help the small smile that crossed his face either...they had taken down two massive Grimm- he had vaguely noticed Nora impale the Deathstalker with Pyrrha's spear through the wound he had created and the others had expanded -all on their own. He had the right to feel proud.

"So...that was a thing," Yang proved to be a master of understatement.

Ichigo just nodded, "Yeah...it was."

* * *

><p><strong>Ruby Rose<strong>

* * *

><p>"Cardin Winchester, Russel Thrush, Dove Bronzewing, Sky Lark. The four of you who retrieved the black bishop pieces shall be known from this day forward as team CRDL, lead by Cardin Winchester."<p>

As Professor Ozpin went through the team assignments, Ruby Rose found herself getting progressively more nervous- and excited oddly. She stood next to Weiss, watching as the others went for their assignments. She was nervous, because all the attention was going to be on her soon enough. Sure, Ichigo and the others had helped, but it had been _her_ who killed a Giant Nevermore. Rumors spread like wildfire...everyone was going to want to see the girl who pulled that feat off.

On the other hand, she was very excited too. Now that it had become apparent that teams were assigned based on what pieces were picked, Ruby _knew_ she was on Yang's team. They had both picked Knights, so they would both be on the same team. And that was quite the load off her shoulders, to put things mildly. But, as she looked away from Ozpin, Ruby frowned slightly. Ichigo was standing next to Blake, but they didn't know exactly where he would end up. He had picked a gold pony himself, but the teams were only four people...

_Ichigo..._

Ozpin's voice forced Ruby's attention away from her new friend and back to the stage however.

"Jaune Arc, Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren, Nora Valkyrie," the grey-haired man said, as the teens in question walked to the stage, "You retrieved the white rook pieces. From now on, you are team JNPR."

Nora jumped onto Ren at that, getting the man to smile slightly at his hyper friend. Ruby was happy for her own friend on the stage...Jaune seemed to get along with his team.

"Lead by...Jaune Arc."

There was silence for a second, before Jaune looked at Ozpin like he had misheard, "Wait...what?"

The Professor just smiled, "Congratulations young man."

"Go Jaune!" Ruby shouted herself, a wide grin crossing her face. And a giggle leaving her body, when Pyrrha gave Jaune a playful shove...and promptly knocked him to the ground.

Her giggle came to a quick end however, when Ozpin began calling _her_ team up to the stage. She could have sworn his eyes focused on her again...what was it about her that got his interest? He did the same thing with Ichigo. And Ruby didn't have the slightest clue why. At least Ichigo had that _awesome_ weapon of his to get attention. She was just...Ruby...nothing more.

"Blake Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Yang Xiao Long," here Ozpin paused, before continuing, "and Ichigo Kurosaki. You retrieved the white knight pieces. Ordinarily, the teams would only be four students each. However, this semester we have had a surprise- and odd number of students, due to Mr. Kurosaki's unique skills. As such, you will be known as team RWBIY, our first five student team."

Ruby blinked, and looked at Ichigo, who for his part, looked just as shocked as she was. He hadn't known about this? But if he got into Beacon in a special way like she had...wouldn't he have expected this? Unluckily for Ruby's question-filled mind, the Professor wasn't finished laying shocks on her either. As she walked up with the rest of the team, Ozpin looked directly at it's youngest member. The black-red haired girl blinked her silver eyes, wondering why he was.

"And you will be lead by...Ruby Rose."

Feeling her mouth drop open, Ruby didn't know how to react to that.

_I'm the leader? But I'm new! I can't..._

Shaking her head, the girl pushed those depressing thoughts from it. Instead, she felt a small squee leave her mouth. Fear aside, she was _soooo excited!_ She was a team leader!

For their parts, her team had drastically differing reactions. Weiss looked shocked and a bit annoyed- nothing new there. Blake just smiled slightly. Ichigo looked much the same as Blake, though he nodded slightly, his eyes carrying a 'you deserve it' look. Yang...

"I'm so proud of you!"

Well, Yang predictably grabbed her sister into a tight hug. Ruby returned the hug, the excitement starting to overwhelm the shock and nervousness.

_I'm a leader! This is so awesome!_

As Ruby began to embrace the joy and honest excitement she felt, Ozpin smiled in the background.

"I have the feeling this is going to be an interesting year..."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: There we go. It was the Yang part that really contributed...that part exploded out of control. Fun to write, but a lot longer than intended at the same time. As for the battles...inexperience is hurting me here. I'm not satisfied with them, but there wasn't much more I could do.<br>**

**The Nevermore fight was something I went back and forth on several times. Do I keep it similar and have everyone get the licks in despite Ichigo being there? Do I have him oneshot the thing since he probably could? In the end, I went for a more balanced approach...team RWB(I)Y still got their moment of awesome teamwork, but Ichigo was enough of a threat the bird focused on him most of the time.**

**I wasn't able to show the Deathstalker bit because of my focus on one character though. Will work on that.  
><strong>

**Reviews: **

**Drake93, The Digger92, duskrider, hollowichigo12, Friaku, liberty86, Single Silver Eye, HollowMugetsu, xbox432, IchiFell, Guest1, Cf96: **Thanks for the reviews!

**yiggdrasill:** Yeah, it was like a punch in the gut. In all fairness to Monty though, he was the creator and head animator...but not the head writer. If RT wants to pull through, they have enough notes to manage continuing.

**P-and-P:** In order of questions:

Yes.

Every Friday, barring something coming up- like Monty passing.

RWB(I)Y

No OCs if I can avoid it, honestly.

That's a plot point that will come up later..._much_ later

Similar maybe, but not the same.

**PersonaQeminod1:** As mentioned in the last review segment...no Bleach characters any time soon.

**Assault Godzilla:** Good to have you here! And yeah, it wasn't easy to hear about. All I can hope is that RT honors his memory by keeping RWBY going.

**blackdeath34:** As previously mentioned, no harem.

**Bl4ze77:** See above on harems. No lemons either for much the same reason...not comfortable writing it.

**firegodvargas:** Kenpachi? What did RWBY-verse do to deserve _that_? In all seriousness though, as above, no Bleach people beyond the Kurosakis will pop up anytime soon.

**humbertorojo96:** I have plans on how Ichigo's abilities effect people around him, yes. As for Zangetsu...well, that was a mistake on his part. Hence Ichigo himself saying 'I should have managed it without jabbing you in a tree'.

**Dark-heika:** Yep.

Also: Heh, Grimm/jow.

**Guest2:** Kisuke will pop up in a flash back...much further into the story.

**AN:** **Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter!**


	5. Class

**AN: ...this story is lending itself to longer than average chapters. Over 8k for this one, in fact. I would say not to expect anything above 4k for an average, but eh, who knows at this point? Hope everyone enjoys it!  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Ichigo Kurosaki<strong>

* * *

><p>Yawning slightly, Ichigo Kurosaki returned to his new room from his early-morning training. When he had left, all the girls had still been out like lights. Probably exhausted from yesterdays events really. That, and he was well-used to getting up so early. If one had a father who enjoyed waking his son up at the crack of dawn with flying kicks to the face...you got <em>really<em> used to getting up early. Taking advantage of that to do some physical training had just become second nature to the teen, after he had realized going back to sleep was pointless. He was just lucky he was quiet enough not to wake up his team, who likely as not, _wouldn't_ enjoy being woken up at the crack of dawn. Now, if he could just manage to keep pulling that off...

_What are they doing?_

Walking towards the door into his room, Ichigo could hear the sound of rustling around inside it. Clearly, the rest of the team was up and about now. Though he had no idea what they were doing. He was almost hesitant to open the door, in fact. Knowing Ruby and Yang...this could be fun. Sighing slightly, he pushed the door open, and almost knocked Ruby on her ass...again. The team leader blinked, as she ducked out of the way. The look of confusion turned into a wide grin soon enough though.

"Ichigo! Where have you been?!" she shouted, eagerness in her voice, "We've been decorating without you!"

"Decorating?" Ichigo asked, his eyebrow rising up.

"Unpacking," Weiss clarified, getting a pout from Ruby.

"Oh, that makes sense. I don't have much stuff myself though."

Blake walked by, holding a stack of books in her arms, "Probably a good thing. The room is getting crowded."

Blinking his own eyes, Ichigo looked past Ruby and at the room. Yang was placing posters on the wall, while Weiss was adjusting a painting. The biggest thing to notice, of course, was that the books in Blake's arms were only a small portion of the ones in the room. The walls were _lined_ with the things...did she pack a library?

"I can tell," the teen deadpanned, "How are we fitting everything in here?"

There was silence at that question. Weiss looked around, frowning slightly as she did so. Blake set her books down, her eyes narrowing slightly as she looked at the already crowded room. Yang paused after putting up her poster, a thoughtful look on her face as she placed her hands on her hips. Ruby just blinked, and frowned slightly. For his part, Ichigo sighed and planted his face in his palm. Clearly they hadn't put thought into how to fit everything in the room. He could admire the eagerness at least...

"It is getting crowded," Weiss muttered.

Yang frowned, "Maybe we should ditch some of our stuff?"

"Or we could ditch the beds?" Ruby suggested.

Ichigo looked at his leader with a deadpan look, "Ditch the beds?"

A determined glint had come into the short girls eyes at that statement, in addition to a wide grin crossing her face, "And replace them with bunk beds!"

Again, there was a moment of silence before Weiss frowned from next to her own bed. She didn't look happy about the idea. Then again...in the short time he had known her, Ichigo had never _really_ seen her happy. So maybe that wasn't something new.

"That sounds incredibly dangerous," the heiress finally said.

"And super-awesome!" Yang countered, proving that she was Ruby's sister with an almost identically excited tone as the leader.

"It would be efficient," Blake mused.

The only question Ichigo had was how they could manage bunking the beds. Or, more appropriately, bunking the girl's beds, since his own was pushed in a corner already, the room clearly not meant to hold a fifth person. Leaving that aside, he still didn't have any idea how to bunk the other four however. The beds weren't designed that way, and just sticking them atop each other was neither enough space to sleep, or very safe. Which might mark the first time he had actually agreed with Weiss on something.

**"That's a shocker."**

_"Quiet you."_

Focusing back on the others, Ichigo could tell that Weiss wasn't going to win however. Ruby and Yang both had the glint in their eyes that he recognized from his own sister, Karin. And when his sister got that look in her eyes...nothing and no one was going to stop her from getting what she wanted. Considering that Ruby _and_ Yang had the same look...well, Weiss was outmatched here. Which was mildly amusing, actually.

"Well, I say we put it to a vote!" of course, that didn't mean the heiress was about to give up.

"I think we just did," Ruby replied slyly.

Turning his head to look at the others, Ichigo was inclined to agree. Blake held a thumb up, looking at least unopposed to the bunk-plan. Yang had flat out thrown up devil horns, an eager grin on her face. A grin mimicked on Ruby's, as she looked smug. Weiss just stuck her tongue out and stomped her foot. But she was outvoted here...even if Ichigo helped her out, it was still three-to-two. So he just shrugged, and started walking towards his own bed, which naturally wasn't going to be bunked.

"Eh, have fun. I'll be unpacking."

The moment he finished saying that, the girls shot forward and started messing with the other beds. Ichigo just ducked out of the way, and started unpacking his own things. Not that he had been lying when he said he didn't have much. Just some clothes for the most part. Though he did have a couple personal items. Books for example...mostly compilations of Shakespeare's works his father had brought to Vale. And that Ichigo was half-convinced Blake would steal from him before the semester was out. There was also the guitar that had been made for his thirteenth birthday.

And, one final thing that he was far more careful with unpacking. A small wooden box, containing the last thing he had from his mother. Ichigo carefully placed it on his desk, running a hand along the rough wood, tracing the dull blue cross carved into it. A wistful look came over his face, one that would certainly have lead to questions were the girls not busy with bunking the beds.

"Objective, complete!" Ruby's pleased comment drew his attention away from the box.

Eyebrow rising once more, Ichigo felt like laughing. Blake and Yang had gotten creative with the overflowing of books the former had...placing stacks of them to elevate Yang's bed up somewhat. It looked stable even!

Weiss and Ruby though...

"Is that held up by ropes?"

"Yup!" the girl in the hood replied, grin not once leaving her face.

Ichigo just turned to look at Weiss, who looked just as dubious for what it was worth. The white-haired girl just sighed, as she shook her head.

"I still say this is dangerous."

"I think it's awesome!" Ruby countered.

_I'm just glad my bed is away from those..._

Shaking his head slightly, Ichigo held in a laugh. This was certainly going to be an interesting year with these four. At least it wouldn't be boring. Then again...classes could end up being boring. This was the first time he had been in a class room in years, and he wasn't really looking forward to it. Nothing to do about it though. Sighing slightly, he moved to pull out his schedule and figure out exactly what the first class was. Ruby beat him to the punch though, pulling out a journal from nowhere. The girl plopped down on her bunk, sending it swaying on its ropes.

"For our next mission we have..." Ruby shouted, eager as ever, before she drooped down slightly, "Classes."

Not even bothering to hold in a laugh this time, the shinigami just shook his head, "Well, it _is_ a school."

"I know that!" the redhead stuck her tongue out, "Now, we have a few classes together today. First one is at nine..."

Weiss gasped, her blue eyes widening to almost comical proportions, "Did you say nine?"

Ruby blinked, "Um...yes?"

"It's 8:55 you dunce!"

The moment she finished saying that, Weiss flashed out of the room so fast Ichigo wondered if she could shunpo. The other girls looked out of the door, before Ruby frowned.

"Uh...to...to class!"

Shooting out of the door, the rest of team RWBIY ran to class. Ichigo just shook his head as he did so.

_This is off to a great start._

* * *

><p><strong>Weiss Schnee<strong>

* * *

><p><em>I cannot <em>believe_ this is how my first year starts!_

Unconsciously mimicking Ichigo- though without the sarcasm -Weiss dutifully wrote down notes. Her elegant hand moved in quick, precise lines, befitting her status as the heiress of the Schnee family. Her handwriting was impeccable, not one wasted stroke or marred line to be seen. This was not why Weiss was feeling like snapping her pencil however. Nothing she was doing was the source of her annoyance, in fact. Everything she was doing was what she should be, and she was doing it _well_.

No, what had her progressively more and more angry, was the girl sitting next to her, and the boy sitting on the other side of her. Ruby, their oh so glorious leader, was alternating between snoring away and scribbling who knew what on her paper. Neither befitting a student of Beacon, leave alone the leader of a team. She was younger, but that didn't give Ruby an excuse to act like a kid!

And Ichigo...he just acted like he didn't care for the studies. He leaned back in his chair, his tie undone and his shirt untucked. While the orangehead wasn't outright ignoring Professor Port like Ruby, he was clearly not paying any real attention. He hadn't written one thing in his notes, or so much as acknowledged the Professor teaching below him.

Needless to say...

_Am I the only one here to learn?_

It was driving her temper up a wall.

"...and that's where we come in," Professor Port was saying, "Huntsman...Huntresses..."

Even Weiss felt like groaning when the Professor winked at Yang. Who, for her part, just looked creeped out.

"Individuals who have sworn to protect those who cannot protect themselves," Port continued, "From what you may ask? Why, the very _world_."

There was silence at that statement, before a boy further back in the lecture hall jumped to his feet, pumping his fist in the air, "Yep!"

Sighing, Weiss tried to ignore the way everyone focused on the guy, who sat back down quickly. It was nice to see someone else who was actually _paying attention_ to the lecture. She just wished it was someone who didn't act like a male Ruby. That would have been nice.

"That is what you are training to become. But first, a tale about a young, handsome man," the Professor paused, before his impressive mustache twitched upwards, "me!"

_He can't possibly be serious..._

Unfortunately, Port was very serious. The older man launched into a tale about his exploits, one that made even Weiss feel her eyes start drooping. She was determined to pay perfect attention and take perfect notes...but the man was _so boring_. His words began to blend together, making it difficult for the Schnee heiress to pick out what he was saying. Considering how hard she was trying to _not_ be like Ruby, that was saying something.

Fighting the urge to let her eyes just drop shot, Weiss turned away from the Professor and towards her 'fearless' leader. Ruby was giggling as she scribbled away on her paper, and that alone was enough to make an elegant white eyebrow climb up. Ruby giggling was _never_ a good thing...Weiss knew that after just knowing the girl for two days.

_What is she doing now?_

"Despite smelling of cabbages..." Port continued in the background, as Ruby finally held up her paper.

And promptly blew a raspberry, while holding up a crude sketch of their Professor with 'professor poop' written under it. Weiss turned her coldest glare on her partner, as Yang held back a giggle in the background. Even _Ichigo_ snorted, and he was supposed to be the serious one!

_She is such a child!_

Port seemed to agree, as he looked at the students laughing with a vaguely disapproving look on his face.

"Ahem," he coughed, "in the end, the Beowolf was no match for my sheer tenacity. I returned to my village with the beast in a cage and my head held high...celebrated as a hero."

Finishing his story, the portly Professor bowed to the class, clearly expecting a positive reaction. Weiss at least nodded respectfully. The rest of the class? Either snoring away, goofing off, or just acting uninterested. In order, that was most of the class, Ruby, and Ichigo. All of which were pushing the Schnee heiress to her breaking point rapidly.

Of course, Port didn't notice his angry student, "The moral of the story? A true huntsman must be honorable. A true huntsman must be dependable. A true huntsman must be honorable, well-educated, and wise. Now, who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?"

Her temper finally snapping as Ruby completely ignored and did the opposite of everything the man said, Weiss shot her hand in the air. If her leader was going to be a stupid child who couldn't even pay attention in a class, then she would prove why _she_ should be the leader. After all, the Schnee heiress had trained her whole life for this. She wasn't going to let some _child_ who shouldn't even be in Beacon upstage her any more!

"I do sir!"

Smiling slightly, the Professor nodded, "Very well. Step forward, and face your opponent."

Weiss just scoffed, and left to change into her combat skirt and grab Myrtenaster. A single Grimm was no threat to her, especially not one in such a small cage. As such, she purposely ignored Ichigo moving forward in his seat, like he wanted to take her place. That orange-haired miscreant may have been powerful, but he had no technique. And she was going to show everyone how good _her_ technique was.

_I should be the leader...and this will show them all why!_

_-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-_

It didn't take her long to change and grab her weapon, before the girl was back in the room. Holding her rapier in front of her body, Weiss took a breath and focused on the Grimm. The cage rattled slightly, but it didn't rattle her spirit. Her team on the other hand...

"Go Weiss!" Yang shouted.

"Fight well!" Blake added, somehow waving a small flag emblazoned with RWBIY on it.

"Be careful," Ichigo said, his deep voice quite different from the rest of the team...in addition to what he said being odd.

Ruby, of course, was the opposite, "Yeah, represent Team RWBIY!"

That last one set Weiss' temper off, reminding her of the fact that this team was both lead by a child, and _named_ after said child. Turning her glare on her 'leader' once again, the girl didn't hold back at all. Ruby had to get it through her head that Weiss could handle herself, and stop distracting her. As such...

"Stop distracting me Ruby!"

The girl flinched back, her silver eyes looking at the floor, "Sorry..."

Electing to ignore the girl, Weiss focused back on the Professor and the Grimm cage. Port had the old weapon that had been mounted on the wall in his hand now, the axe-gun poised next to the cage. Sucking in a breath to steady her breathing, Weiss nodded slightly. Port nodded back, not one sign of what he was thinking on his face. She almost envied the man that...wearing a mask was something she had to do most of her life, and it had never been such a perfect poker face. Pushing that thought from her mind, the heiress raised her rapier.

As the Professor raised his own axe, "Alright...let the match...begin!"

And promptly brought it down on the lock. Revealing a Boarbatusk, snarling at the teen. Weiss grimaced ever so slightly. This was a Grimm she had never fought before...

That immediately charged right at her! Swinging Myrtenaster at the Grimm, the heiress was forced to roll out of the way, as her weapon merely ran along its tough armor. That would have killed a Beowolf...but this Grimm was not so easily dispatched. It came to a halt, snarling and stamping its feet as Weiss raised her weapon once more.

"Hang in there Weiss!"

Now if only Ruby would shut up...

_Gotcha._

Shooting forward herself this time, Weiss moved to meet the Boarbatusk mid-charge. If she could just pierces its armor- or maybe an eye -she could kill it with a strike to the brain. Precision...it was her style. Unfortunately, that would not work this time. As Weiss' weapon impacted on the Grimm's skull, it promptly bounced off and got caught in the tusk that gave the monster its name. The Grimm punched its skull forward, sending Weiss into the air. Grunting in pain, the girl came back down, and attempted to pull her weapon free.

But it was jammed in the creature's tusk, and the Boarbatusk was _not_ letting go.

"Come on Weiss, you can do this!" Ruby shouted.

Turning her head to glare at the annoying girl again, Weiss gasped as the Grimm shook its head even more fiercely than before. It sent her flying, and her weapon flying in the opposite direction. Rolling to her knees, the heiress grimaced as she realized she was defenseless now, beyond her Aura.

"Oh ho! What will you do now, without your weapon?"

Port was not helping.

_Damn...stupid move Weiss!_

Looking up, the white-haired teen gasped as the Boarbatusk charged at her once again. Rolling out of the way, she didn't pay it any mind as it crashed into the surprisingly tough bench. Sprinting to Myrtenaster, she grabbed her rapier and crouched down as the Grimm shook its head and turned in her direction once more. Trying to focus on forming a glyph, Weiss was distracted _again_ by her very unhelpful leader.

"Weiss! Aim for its belly, there's no armor there!"

Finally snapping, Weiss turned to the younger girl, "Stop telling me what to do!"

Ignoring the kicked puppy look Ruby took on or the glare Ichigo sent her way, the heiress focused on the Grimm...that had rolled itself into a ball and started charging at her again. For what she planned on being the last time. As the Grimm reached her, Weiss focused her power and formed two glyphs. The first was a shield, that the Boarbatusk promptly bounced off and fell to the ground.

As that happened, Weiss jumped up towards the second, using it to shoot herself down on the vulnerable belly of the Grimm. Myrtenaster speared through the thinner skin, killing it instantly as the girl slumped against it. She used up more energy than she had meant to...

_It's over...I won!_

More energy or not, she had beat the Grimm.

"Bravo! Bravo! It is clear we are in the presence of a true huntress in training!" Port seemed genuinely happy she had done so, "Unfortunately, that is all the time we have for today. Be sure to study the assigned readings, and remember...stay vigilant!"

The moment the Professor finished talking, Weiss placed her blade on her hip and stormed out of the room. As the joy of victory subsided, the frustration of the day quickly returned. What did it matter if she had won? It shouldn't have pushed her so hard or taken so much time. It wall because Ruby kept distracting her! If their child of a leader had just shut up during the match, Weiss could have won within the first two strikes. She wouldn't have lost her weapon. She wouldn't have depleted her aura absorbing those blows.

She wouldn't have...

"Weiss!"

Sighing out of frustration, the girl turned her head. Unsurprisingly, it was Ruby, who looked more than a little put out.

"What?"

Ruby blinked at the annoyance in her partner's tone, before plowing on like usual, "What's wrong with you...why were you being so me..."

Temper fraying once more, Weiss didn't bother to keep any annoyance out of her voice anymore.

"What's wrong with _me_? What's wrong with _you_? You're supposed to be a leader! But you've just been a nuisance!"

"What did I do?" the other girl genuinely didn't seem to understand, which just annoyed Weiss more.

Scoffing lightly, the heiress laid into her team leader, "That's just it! You've done _nothing_ to deserve your position. In the forest, you acted like a child! And you've continued to do so."

The younger girl clearly didn't know how to react. Weiss had little patience at the moment though, so even the downtrodden look in Ruby's eyes didn't do much to sway her. This was frustration that had been building up ever since the younger girl was appointed team leader, and it wasn't going to go away just because said girl had puppy eyes. No, it wouldn't go away as long as Ruby was the leader. And since that wasn't likely to change any time soon...well, it just wouldn't go away any time soon.

"Weiss...where is this coming from?" Ruby's voice sounded just as downtrodden, "What happened to all that talk about teamwork? Working together? I thought you wanted to work together as a team?"

"Not a team lead by _you,_" and there was the crux of the issue, "I've trained and studied, and frankly, I deserve better."

"Yeah right," a male voice broke in.

Resisting the urge to sigh, Weiss knew exactly who _that_ was, without even looking. The tone of voice could only be one person after all, not to mention the disrespectful tone it held. There was only one man she knew who would talk like that, and it was Ichigo Kurosaki. Who, when Weiss looked, was leaning against the wall. The perpetual scowl that never seemed to leave his face was deeper than usual though, and aimed directly at _her_ as opposed to it just being on his face.

Which didn't make a whole lot of sense, since if anything, Ichigo should be every bit as annoyed with Ruby as she was. Considering the way the girl acted and all.

"You need to stop being such a jerk," Ichigo continued.

"I am _not_ being a jerk!" Weiss protested, "I just explained why I'm angry!"

The other teen shook his head, "By being...a jerk. I get it, you don't like working with someone else...I'm the same way. You have to earn my respect before I'll follow someone."

Ruby was looking between her teammates, a confused look on her face. Weiss just ignored it, and settled for turning her glare on the taller teen. He may say he understood, but he _clearly_ didn't!

"And _what_ has she done to gain my respect?"

"Coming up with the plan to kill the Nevermore? _Killing_ the Nevermore?" Ichigo replied, "The fact Ozpin chose her for a reason?"

Realizing that arguing would be pointless, Weiss spun around, "Ozpin made a mistake."

And with that piece said, she walked away from the others. If they couldn't understand her position, she would just have to find someone who _did_.

_-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-_

Fairly soon after leaving the others behind, Weiss came upon someone she thought would take her side in her dispute with her 'leader'. Namely, Professor Port. The man was boring and a braggart, but at least he was a Professor who _wasn't_ named Ozpin. Maybe if she could convince Port that she should be team RWBIY's leader, he would take her complaints to the Headmaster? Surely if the heiress could get support from a respected Professor that would be enough to convince Ozpin to change her to be the leader. After all, she was _far_ more well-suited for the task than Ruby was. And naturally, Port would see her point!

As such, Weiss walked up to the Professor, straightening her shoulders and doing her utmost to look professional.

"Professor Port!"

"Ah, miss Schnee!" the portly man turned around, "to what do I owe this pleasure?"

Grimacing slightly as he mangled her last name, Weiss plastered a smile on her face as she looked at the older man, "I enjoyed your lecture!"

"Of course you did," Port smiled, "You have the blood of a true huntress in you!"

Perking up slightly, Weiss smiled herself. For all her 'high and mighty' tendencies, the girl did enjoy getting compliments that were genuine. And the Professor seemed quite genuine with everything he said. That being said...

"You really think so?" it wouldn't be _Weiss_ if she didn't make sure on everything.

Port just smiled again, "Of course! Something is troubling you?"

The sudden change in topic had to do with Weiss' face falling slightly. Evidently, for all his bombastic tendencies, Port was at least observant enough to notice that she was having issues. Of course, those issues had nothing to with him _or_ her, but the point remained. She was certainly not in the best of moods after all. But how to explain that...she didn't want Port thinking she was just complaining for the sake of complaining. Weiss was never one to do something so trivial after all!

No, she had to make clear that she was coming from a valid viewpoint. Port would only help her if he saw that much.

"Yes sir..."

Of course, she suddenly had to feel nervous about it.

"Dear child, confess to me your strife!" Not that Port seemed to care...

Rallying her nerves, Weiss looked up at the older man. He suddenly seemed a lot more intimidating, up close like this. But she was a Schnee...nothing could keep her intimidated for long. Or, so she told herself anyway.

"I think I should be the leader of team RWBIY!" Weiss got out.

Port merely looked down on her, before saying bluntly, "That's preposterous."

_Wait...what?_

It didn't take long for Weiss' temper to return in full force after hearing that statement. Not even a 'maybe you should think about it'. Or a 'well, maybe that's true'. He just shot her down without even thinking about it? What kind of Professor did that to a student? Maybe she would have been better off appealing directly to Ozpin after all, if Port was just going to shoot her down with no hesitation like that!

"What?!" she complained.

"I've believed in Professor Ozpin for many years," Port sounded nostalgic, "And he has never once lead me astray."

Apparently the man was too much of a fan of Ozpin to see Weiss' point. That was _wonderful_.

"So you'd just blindly follow him, even after you've seen how exceptional I am?"

If Weiss expected that to garner any sympathy, she wasn't going to be happy. Port just raised an eyebrow slightly, the look making Weiss bristle slightly. It was simultaneously disapproving and pitying. Not a good combination, especially not when directed at _this_ girl. Weiss had seen enough looks like that in her life, and she didn't want to see more. Port didn't seem to agree however, as the look never left his face. He seemed quite determined to make her see something, in fact. What though...

That, Weiss didn't know. Surely he didn't believe Ozpin _that_ much, right?

"With all due respect, your exceptional skill on the battlefield is matched only by your poor attitude."

And now the temper returned with a vengeance. Weiss glared at the Professor, placing her hands on her hips as she scoffed at the man.

"Excuse me?!"

All the answer the man needed to that statement was a dry, "My point exactly."

It wasn't all Port had to say however. Without once changing expression, he continued to talk to the girl in front of him.

"I see before me, a girl who has had everything handed to her, her whole life."

"That's not even remotely true!" Weiss countered immediately.

Port just continued to stare at her, making the girl feel progressively more uncomfortable. It was like he was looking past everything she said or acted like. It was not a nice feeling. And the thing was...she would never admit it, but both her and the Professor were right. Weiss hadn't exactly had a pleasant childhood, but it wasn't because she didn't have whatever she wanted. So in a way, Port was right in that regard. Not entirely right, but he was closer to the mark than she would have liked. It made her uncomfortable, and it was not a good thing.

How was she supposed to react? Tell the truth? There wasn't a chance she was going to tell the Professor about her childhood. She wouldn't tell _anyone_ about that.

So instead...

"Well, not entirely true."

A half-truth would have to suffice.

"Things did not fall in your favor," Port continued, seeming to accept what Weiss said...or, at least, understood not to prod further, "Do you really think acting in such a manner will make those in power reconsider their decision?"

Ichigo's words came back into Weiss' head at that. Had she been acting so much like a jerk that even Port picked up on it? And for all her annoyance at the other girl...had Ruby really deserved that? Truly deserved it?

"Instead of complaining about what you have, savor it. Instead of being the best _leader_, be the best _person_ you can be."

With that finished, Port walked off, leaving Weiss with her thoughts.

* * *

><p><strong>Ruby Rose<strong>

* * *

><p>"That could have gone better," Ichigo sighed, running a hand through his hair.<p>

Ruby just looked at the ground, her mood thoroughly deflated. The day had been going so well. They had all had fun decorating the room. Even Weiss had seemed like she enjoyed it! Sure, they had almost been late to class but everyone had seemed happy in the morning. Even Ichigo had smiled more than he had scowled today. But then they had reached class. A boring class, even for Ruby who had her share of boring classes back at Signal. Was it really her fault she had to goof off to keep herself from falling asleep? Yang had done the same thing!

But Weiss had treated it like it was a horrible thing. Ruby knew her partner was serious...but so were Blake and Ichigo. Neither of them had acted so mean just because she wanted to have some fun...

"Indeed."

Another male voice had Ruby turning around, seeing Professor Ozpin towering above her.

"Yo," Ichigo nodded to the Professor.

"Was she right sir?" Ruby asked instead, "Did you make a mistake?"

"That remains to be seen," Ozpin replied.

A shrug came from Ichigo too, "I don't see a mistake here."

It wasn't an understatement to say Ruby didn't know how to react to that. She blinked, looking between the men in front of her.

"What do you mean?" the girl asked, the question directed at both Ichigo and Ozpin.

The other teen just shrugged again, "Like I told Weiss, and Yang for that matter, I think you can be a good leader. You act your age which annoys Weiss, but eh, it doesn't bother me. Just do what you've been doing and I'll follow you."

And now Ruby was wondering when Ichigo and her sister had talked about her leadership abilities. The two hadn't been left alone that she knew of...when did they have the chance? Back at the temple maybe? Not to mention them talking about her brought a small flush to her face.

"And while I have made more mistakes than anyone on this world," Ozpin broke into the girl's thoughts, "I do not consider your position one of them."

As he said that, Ozpin leaned forward. His eyes looked into Ruby's, clearly searching for something. It made her a little bit uncomfortable to be honest...what was it about this man that always made it seem like he knew more than he was letting on?

"Do you?"

Ruby didn't know how to respond to that question. Sure, she liked being the team leader, she really did! It was awesome and fun, and...so many other things she couldn't adequately describe. But Weiss...she seemed so angry about it. The other girl wouldn't be that angry without a good reason, would she? Weiss had never been really nice since Ruby met her, but that didn't mean she'd get this angry without a reason right? That doubt was nagging at her, even as she still held the joy of being trusted to be a leader.

Ichigo's support was helpful there. He was blunt as ever, but Ruby really _did_ appreciate his words. It was soooo nice to have someone who believed in her other than Yang. She loved her sister, but having someone else was such a novel experience!

Ozpin broke into her thoughts again however, leaning back from the girl, "Being a leader is not just a title you carry into battle with you. It's a badge you will wear for the rest of your life."

The man had an almost barely-there smile on his face as he looked down on Ruby. Who, for her part, had a determined look cross her face.

"And if you do not perform at your absolute best, what reason do you give others to follow you?"

"And that's why I'm annoyed with Weiss," Ichigo added, "You've done nothing but do your best right?"

"Yeah!" Ruby agreed, her energy returning now.

Ichigo nodded, "And that's why you're a good leader. Ice Queen over there just can't see that yet."

Smile not once leaving his face, Ozpin nodded himself, "While I do not condone making derogatory names for your teammates, Ichigo has a valid point Ruby."

That being said, after he spoke that, the Professor turned away. As such, Ruby couldn't see the smile come off his face, replaced by his typical look. All she knew was that he had spoken his piece, and it was up to her to decide how to move forward.

"You've been burdened with a daunting task Ruby. I advise you take some time to consider how to proceed...and not be afraid to lean on others for support."

At that, the oranghead next to the short girl nodded again, "Yeah, I'm here and so are Yang and Blake. Even if it takes a bit, we'll get it in Weiss' head that she's a member of a team now."

There was a reason Ruby liked her team, and that was the main one. They were all so...nice. And cool! Ichigo was blunt and a bit mysterious- the scowl was a bit scary at times too -but he was nice all the same, and seemed to like helping the others. Yang was her sister, and possibly the coolest girl Ruby had ever met. She knew she could always count on her older sibling when she needed her, because it was just in Yang's nature to help her sister. Blake was mysterious like Ichigo, but in a different way. A way that just made her awesome!

Even Weiss was cool in her own way. And looking at the back of the Professor walking away, Ruby decided she would do something to get Weiss to like her...even if it required doing boring studying.

_I want to be her friend. I want all of us to be friends!_

_-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-_

"Ruby...Ruby..."

_Go away...I'm trying to sleep!_

"You dolt, wake up."

_I want to sleep!_

"You're just doing this to annoy me, aren't you?"

_No, I just wanna...wait..._

"Weiss?" Ruby groaned, flipping over on her bed, scattering her pencil and papers.

Indeed, the Schnee heiress was standing atop her own bed, a deadpan look directed at Ruby. Unlike the younger girl, who had changed into her pajamas for her studying, Weiss was still wearing her regular outfit, rapier and all. Which reminded her...how late was it? The last thing Ruby remembered was studying something from Port's class, her sweet _sweet_ caffeine and sugar wearing off. Something that might explain the empty coffee cup laying next to her head come to think of it...

Shaking those thoughts from her head, Ruby focused on her partner. Weiss had something of a deadpan look on her face, as she looked at the leader. That look was better than the angry one she had worn earlier at least. Though Ruby wondered why her partner had woken her up...had something happened?

"I'm sorry...I was studying," Ruby finally said, when the silence became uncomfortable.

"I noticed," the white-haired girl's eyebrow rose elegantly, before she gestured at the empty cup, "How do you take your coffee?"

"I..."

"Answer the question," Weiss sighed.

Ruby flinched back slightly, "Uh...cream and five sugars!"

The eyeroll from Weiss made it clear what the heiress thought about her leader's sweet tooth. She still dropped down, probably to where Ruby had left the coffee machine that Yang had dragged from home. On the subject of her sister however...

_Yang?_

Blinking her large silver eyes again, Ruby noticed her sister's bed was noticeably empty. Blake was sleeping in her lower bunk, but the upper one was empty. Come to think of it, the same was true of Ichigo's bed, stuffed into a corner. Both beds were empty, with no sign of her sister or her new friend. Where could they be? And what could they be...

_Nonononononononono! Bad Ruby!_

Feeling a blush creeping up her face even as she shook her head- Yang wasn't doing anything with a guy she _just_ met -Ruby forced her mind away from those thoughts. It was more important to figure out why they were both gone than what they were doing anyway. Pushing her foggy- having just woken up and all -mind to try and remember when she had last seen the two, Ruby frowned. Ichigo and Yang had both been in bed when she was awake. They had to have left when she was asleep then...

"Here you go," Weiss' voice broke into her thoughts, handing the young girl a cup of coffee.

"Thanks...umm...Weiss..."

Before Ruby could ask about her missing teammates, Weiss interrupted her.

"Ruby...I..." it was clear the girl was struggling to find the right words to use, "I believe you can be a good leader. Just know that I'll be the _best_ teammate you've _ever_ had."

The younger girl couldn't find words to respond to that. Weiss being nice? It brought a smile to Ruby's face, even if she wasn't remotely sure where this had come from.

"Good luck studying," Weiss finished, though she couldn't resist pointing at the paper, "that's wrong by the way."

After saying that, Weiss moved to go to the bathroom, likely to change into her own sleep clothes. Ruby stopped her first though.

"Wait, Weiss," the younger girl hissed, to avoid waking Blake.

"What?"

"Have you seen Ichigo or Yang?"

Weiss frowned, "Not since I left class, no."

Ruby's face took on a frown of its own at that. Where could her sister and friend be?

* * *

><p><strong>Yang Xiao Long<strong>

* * *

><p>As it turned out, Yang hadn't left <em>with<em> Ichigo...technically. In actuality, she was following the other teen without him knowing. It had just been dumb luck that he left while she was still awake actually, as both Ruby and Blake had fallen asleep by that point. Weiss, of course, was nowhere to be seen. Which was one reason that Yang had followed the taller boy in the first place...because she was curious if he was going to track down their errant teammate or not. She still wanted to give the white-haired girl a piece of her mind for doing that to poor Ruby, after all. Not to mention, thanking Ichigo for helping out...he didn't have to, but Ruby had seemed a lot happier that he did.

Yang just hadn't had a chance to thank him before they all pretty well unanimously decided to go to bed, aside from Ruby who had kept at her studying. Yang would have been proud, if it hadn't been because of Weiss that her sister was doing it. As it sat though...

_I'm going to give Ice Queen a piece of my mind for sure._

Shaking her head to clear those thoughts, the girl refocused. She had stopped walking at a door leading outside, onto the roof of the dorms in fact. Yang had stopped there, because Ichigo had gone out that way. She just wasn't sure about going out herself, not until she had some idea what to expect. Then again...

_Screw it._

Since when was Yang Xiao Long one for hesitating? Stepping outside, she was surprised to see Ichigo holding his sword...Zangetsu wasn't it? When had he grabbed that sword? Not to mention he was doing some sort of weird dueling thing with it. The other teen was holding the blade in front of his body, and moving so slow that Yang could perfectly follow his movements. Which was odd on its own, since what she had seen of Ichigo fighting was like Ruby...all speed. The way he was moving was odd too...bringing the sword up, down, around...almost like he was dueling an invisible foe. He would pause occasionally and just hold a pose, and then start moving again too.

It wasn't a stretch to say Yang hadn't seen training- what this looked like -like this before. She herself just punched away at targets. Ruby tended to set up various fruits to slice to pieces or shoot. Just practicing movements with the sword? That was...

"Yang?"

"How the hell..."

Ichigo set his sword on the ground, an eyebrow going up, "I could feel you here. What's up?"

Her own eyebrow going up, Yang frowned, "'Feel me'? Ichigo, I think it's a bit early for that!"

Fighting back a giggle at the way the other teen's face lit up like a streetlamp, Yang moved to sit next to him. Ichigo just grumbled under his breath, sounding suspiciously like 'damn tease'. The blonde just grinned at him, finding it amusing to tease him. Ichigo was so straight-laced that it was amusing to see him flustered.

"What did you mean anyway?" she still asked though.

The other teen sighed, "It's hard to explain. I can feel Auras, everyone is unique. You feel like someone is lighting a bonfire next to me."

"Feel Aura...that's a new one," Yang mused, ticking another box in her mental 'what the hell is up with Ichigo Kurosaki' counter.

A shrug answered that, "Eh, I'm used to it. Always been able to do it, so it's not that odd to me."

"Only you would say that."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ichigo protested.

Yang just kept up her grin, "You're weird, that's what. Don't worry though, everyone at Beacon's a bit odd. You're just like...super-odd."

"I don't know if that's a compliment or an insult."

Giving up on holding back her laughter, Yang held her sides. Ichigo had _the_ driest delivery of anyone she had ever meant. For his part, the teen just had a small smirk on his face, clearly holding back his own laughter. In response, Yang elbowed him in the side, her own chuckles continuing. Ichigo just swatted at her hand, scooting away from the blonde. Shaking her head, the girl just watched him go.

"Anyway, why _did_ you come up here?" Ichigo finally asked again, once Yang had stopped laughing.

"Following you," she shrugged.

An eyebrow went up again, "You're stalking me now?"

Turning a glare on the other teen now, Yang let him know her opinion on _that_ suggestion.

"Right, not stalking me," Ichigo quickly replied, "Seriously though, why?"

"Curious," Yang shrugged, "That, and I wanted to thank you for earlier."

The other teen looked confused at that. Not that Yang could blame him. It wasn't like he had done anything directly to help _her_ after all. Hence, he probably didn't expect her to thank him for anything. That being said, she was being entirely serious in her thanks. Anyone who helped Ruby out helped her out by extension. And this was far from the first time that Ichigo had helped her sister out either. He seemed to be making a habit of it actually...

Not that it was a _bad_ thing, mind you.

"Thank me for what?" the other teen finally asked.

"Helping out Ruby," Yang replied, leaning back against the wall, "I appreciate you doing that for her."

Ichigo just shrugged, "Eh, like I told her, it wasn't a big deal. I'd help any of my friends."

"Good to know. Now, what were _you_ doing?"

Suddenly looking a bit self-conscious, Ichigo sighed, "Training."

_Well, that answered that question_...

"That's not like any training I've ever seen."

"It's called a kata..."

As he said that, Ichigo launched into a description of what he was doing. To be honest, Yang didn't really pay much attention to it. All she got was that it was something meant to make his actions instinctive. A muscle memory thing, or something like that. Useful for the orangehead maybe, but her own techniques wouldn't really benefit from it. Insofar as Yang even _had_ a technique, of course. She had her training, but there was hardly anything formal or rigid about it. Ichigo's seemed to be extremely formal though...odd that, considering it wasn't taught at Signal that she knew of.

It might explain how he was so fast though. If he could hack and slash with that strange sword of his on instinct, that was less time spent thinking about what to do. Which might be useful, in all honesty.

"...anyway, we should probably head back to the room now. It's getting late."

Shaking her head, Yang nodded, "Good point. Wouldn't want you sleeping in."

"I never sleep in," was the dry reply.

"Sure, sure," snapping her fingers, the girl remembered something, "And don't think I've forgotten about that sword of yours! I still want an answer!"

Ichigo nodded, "Yeah, I know. I'll explain it this weekend, when we have more time."

"Holding you to that!"

"...I know."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I feel like the Yang part could be better. Then again, it's my first time really shooting into new material, so it's natural it won't be quite satisfying for me. Which reminds me...the next chapter will be the start of our first little sub-arc. We'll see how that goes.<strong>

**Also: Thanks for the reviews everyone! I never expected this to shoot above 100 for just 4 chapters.**

**Reviews:**

**PersonaQeminod1, senvisal, The Digger92, FluffyDestroyerOfPlanets, Monstrel45, xbox432, duskrider, shugokage, hollowichigo12, Akujiki, Cf96, Bl4z777, liberty86, Dauntless-Bran, JJN37, CrystalCipher, desdelor97, Guest1: **Thanks for the reviews! That may also be the longest list of reviewers I've done...

**yiggdrasill:** Remember, this Ichigo isn't Canon!Ichigo. He's got a different backstory, though it'll be seen only in little bits and pieces for now.

**Drake93:** Yup, pairing was one of the first things I decided on.

**Fifth Horseman:** It's been some time since I've made a real, main focus OC. I figured that Ichigo can carry things differently enough on his own...no need for any OC team. I'm looking forward to the humor that comes with Ichigo 'Prude' Kurosaki being stuck in that room actually.

**LeadStrategist:** As above, Ichigo's backstory will come to light in bits and pieces/hints. He does have the ability to stay in the air, he just doesn't use it...not show everything you can do at once and all. He's already got enough questions to answer about Zangetsu.

**Webb360:** While another reviewer said it well...

It's only been a little over two days in-universe. Yes, Ichigo is friends with 3 out of 4 of his teammates- Weiss is going to join the 'friend' category eventually though -but I don't see how that equals 'harem'. There hasn't been anywhere near enough time for any romantic stuff to pop up.

I'm keeping the pairing secret for a very good reason...it let's me develop it and the friendships more naturally. If people know Ichigo is with *insert girl here* they expect romantic moments. By keeping it a secret, I can develop it without feeling constricted by that.

Masaki is dead, as this chapter hints at.

**lazylegionspark:** Yeah, FF.N was a bit buggy for me too. I could easily see Ichigo helping Jaune, if he ever finds out how bad-off he really is.

**Drunken Sarge:** Glad you like the story! And it's always good to know I'm keeping people in character well.

**Guest2:** It's not a nerf, not really. Like above, this Ichigo is not Canon!Ichigo. His powerlevel is not the same- and I'm not going to reveal exactly how strong he is for some time. That, and the Nevermore is canonically ridiculously tough to kill, _Breach_ aside. This one didn't even get cut by Blake's attack, something that can cut Beowolves clean in two. Yang punched shotgun shells down its throat, and it only made it dizzy.

With where I'm taking Ichigo's power, I can easily see it being able to survive the Getsuga.

**TZJoey:** Yes, there will be a pairing.

**AN: Again, hope everyone enjoyed the chapter!**


	6. Power of the Soul: Part I

**AN: And here we are with the next chapter. Like I said last time, this'll be our first departure from the canon storyline, as a little side-arc. Little, in this case, meaning 3-4 chapters.  
><strong>

**I'm not really satisfied with this one- granted I'm my own worst critic... -but that's probably because it's set up for the rest of the Arc. Hopefully everyone enjoys it!**

**Also, since it appears to be needed:  
><strong>

_**This story is not a Harem. It has only been a week...no romance should be seen yet, Ichigo just happens to be friends with a group of girls. He will only get with **_**one_ of them...I can throw a bone and say it's a member of RWB(I)Y...but I won't say which one. Suffice to say I've already started developing it...several of the readers have already guessed correctly. I won't confirm it though.  
><em>**

**There we go. That should hopefully clear up confusion on that end.**

* * *

><p><strong>Ichigo Kurosaki<strong>

* * *

><p>It had been a week since the initiation, and an interesting week to be sure, at least for Ichigo Kurosaki. It was already odd for him, since he hadn't been formally schooled since he was younger...so many years ago. Having to readjust to a schedule, classes and homework...it was very weird, to put things mildly. It wasn't helping that most of the 'schooling' he had done in the past few years was his old man teaching him how to fight. Or Zangetsu teaching him how to use their powers. Neither were really preparing him for the mind-numbingly boring classes he was stuck with now. Despite Beacon being a school designed to train <em>hunters and huntresses<em>, the teen hadn't had one class about fighting yet. Sure, there was the occasional Grimm like Port had brought in...but it was mostly math, history and things like that.

For all that the schooling was odd in itself, it was equally odd having to shack up with four teenage girls. While Ichigo did have two younger sisters...Karin and Yuzu were just that _younger sisters_. Being stuck in the same room as four girls his age- well, to be fair, Ruby was younger -left him almost constantly flustered. Getting up earlier than the girls at least meant he wasn't in the room when they were changing into their uniforms. That didn't help a whole lot at night though, when he had to turn his face to the wall lest it become as red as- one of -the meanings of his name.

**"You know you like it Kingy."**

Zangetsu wasn't helping.

_"Shut up you. I'm not a pervert."_

**"Sure ya ain't. Let's see how long that lasts Kingy!"**

_"I give up."_

**"Quitters never win anything!"**

_"I would suggest you save this argument for later,"_ the Quincy portion of Zangetsu broke in, _"I believe that your team may notice and have questions we cannot answer."_

**"Or they'll think you're crazy."**

Breathing a frustrated sigh, Ichigo didn't bother commenting on the fact that if anyone in his head was insane, it was the Hollow. Though what did it say about him having an insane spirit in his body...

"Ichigo?" Ruby's concerned voice broke in, "You okay?"

"Eh?" the orangehead asked, inwardly cursing.

"You zoned out there," Yang replied, "More than usual even."

"Oi, I don't zone out all the time," Ichigo protested.

"You really do," and only Weiss could manage the same deadpan tone that he could.

Turning to Blake, half-expecting her to have some sort of comment too, all Ichigo got was a shrug. Thankful that at least one of his team wasn't grilling him on his little conversation, he turned back to the reason he was here with them in the first place. 'Here' being their room, with him sitting in the middle of the floor, the girls stacked on beds around him. He had finally run out of time and excuses not to tell them about Zangetsu, who's sealed form was currently leaning against his own bed.

Hence, the reason he had all of them staring at him expectantly, too.

"Soooo," Yang continued, "Feel like telling us about that funky sword of yours?"

"You aren't giving me a choice."

"Nope."

That one came from both sisters, who managed to pop the p almost identically. For looking nothing like each other, the two had a lot of similarities that way.

"...okay then," Ichigo sighed, "I don't even know where to start. I'm not good at this damn it!"

"No need to yell," Weiss rolled her eyes, "You can start with why it looks like this, but it didn't at the ruins."

As she said that, the heiress pointed to the daito.

"That's why it's hard to explain," the orangehead sighed, running a hand through his hair, "Okay...I would hope you all know about Aura?"

"Of course," Blake finally spoke up, her look and tone of voice transmitting a 'do you take us for idiots?' signal.

Scowling at the dark-haired girl, Ichigo continued, "Well, Zangetsu is a strange weapon."

**"OI!"**

Wincing internally at the shout from the Hollow, Ichigo resisted the urge to roll his own eyes when Ruby's hand started shooting up and down. She didn't have to hold her hand up like this was a lecture...he wasn't trying to come across as lecturing anyone. He got enough of that from the professors...and Weiss, for that matter. Who had taken to hounding the rest of team RWBIY to study.

"Ruby?" the teen asked, already regretting it.

"It's not strange," the girl began, somewhat breathlessly, "it's _awesome_! That's why I want to know how you do it!"

Yang just shrugged, "I still say it's funky."

Ichigo had to resist every impulse he had to tell the girl what Zangetsu thought of that statement. Or, more appropriately, how he was currently cursing incoherently at Yang. Of course though, he had enough things to deflect, without mentioning his blade had a soul...two souls really.

"Anyway," he said instead, "Zangetsu can change shape because of my Aura."

"That doesn't make any sense," unsurprisingly, Weiss called him out on that, "I could understand if it was your Semblance, though I have never seen or heard of one that changes a weapon. But Aura does not work that way, it merely provides protection, and amplifies an attack if needed."

Running a hand through his hair, the teen sighed, "Normally, yeah. I said Zangetsu wasn't a regular weapon though. Ruby and Yang know what I mean."

"I do?" the sisters asked in unison, getting a giggle from the younger one.

To be fair, Ichigo hadn't actually told them what was special about a Zanpakutō. He had just told them that was what Zangetsu was, nothing beyond that and it meaning 'Soul Cutter'. Ichigo hadn't felt the _need_ to tell Ruby or Yang more than that, since he had stupidly- as the Hollow was currently telling him -assumed that he wouldn't have to worry about questions. Really, he should have known the moment he used his Shikai he would have to explain it. The teen was just lucky that what he _had_ told the sisters gave him an advantage.

After all, if his weapon was already special...

"What are you talking about?" Yang asked, "You haven't told us a thing about it."

"I told you Zangetsu was a Zanpakutō didn't I?"

Blake's eyes narrowed slightly, "Zanpakutō?"

_I thought no one in Remnant knew what one was?_ Ichigo was slightly concerned with his teammates tone of voice there.

_"In theory."_

Almost worried about the answer, the teen turned to his friend, "You know what it is?"

Luckily for him, Blake shook her head, "No, I've never heard of a Zanpakutō."

Well...that was a relief. The last thing Ichigo needed was someone knowing what he was. It was hard enough to deal with _being_ special. Having others know wasn't his idea of a good time. He didn't want to be treated differently, just because of his powers. If they thought a Zanpakutō was just a special type of weapon and not something born from his soul...well, that was better for everyone involved. At least, in his opinion anyway.

"It's hard to explain," Ichigo continued, mimicking his earlier statement, "but a Zanpakutō is a special kind of sword, that my families been using for as long as I can remember."

With Zangetsu- the Quincy portion -feeding him a believable story, Ichigo felt his voice strengthening. He wasn't afraid to admit that his Quincy side was more clever than he himself was. He wasn't _that_ arrogant. Having another mind helping him craft a believable story was a lot easier than doing it on his own, that was sure.

"They look like Zangetsu, but shorter to start. When we learn to use our Aura though...my family starts training with our swords, melding our Aura with the weapon," the teen took a breath, not _technically_ lying, "that's when they start looking like this."

Getting to his feet, Ichigo walked over and grabbed Zangetsu. Drawing the long blade from his sheath, the teen held the sword up, where the rest of his team could see it better. He wasn't about to use his Shikai in the room, but this sufficed for what he needed to get across.

"That doesn't explain the transformation," Weiss spoke up, when it became apparent Ichigo wasn't going to _do_ said transformation.

"I wanted to see it..." Ruby muttered in the background.

Ichigo just smiled ever so slightly at his leader, "Sorry, I don't want to wreck the room. What you're talking about is called Shikai, by the way."

"Shi-what now?" that was Yang, unsurprisingly.

"The release of the Zanpakutō. Like I said, we tie our Aura's into our weapons...weaponizing it, more or less," there was a shrug there, as Ichigo didn't know how to explain it better, "it's normally sealed up, so we aren't wasting our Aura just carrying the thing around. The change in shape is a unique reflection of our Aura. The old man's is like Yang over there, all fire and all that stuff."

"Ooh..." Yang's eyes lit up, "I have to meet this guy."

A shudder came from the orangehead at that statement. The _last_ thing he needed was bringing Yang to his home. He still hadn't told his father about his...rather unfortunate...sleeping arrangement. If he brought _Yang_ back home, the old man would probably make some perverted jokes. Insist that she was his newest daughter, or something stupid like that. If there was one thing Ichigo knew, it was that his old man was just that stupid. And really, the last thing he needed was the old man trying to hook him up with his teammates. Which he would probably do no matter who he brought over. Yang's choice of clothing just didn't help matters there.

He could be forgiven for hiding his situation from the old man, really. Zangetsu was bad enough.

"Can anyone do that?" Blake sounded unusually curious, for her at least, "Blend their Aura and weapon?"

"..."

"Well?"

The teen sighed, "I don't know. Like I said, Zanpakutō are made for this...I don't know what other weapons can do."

_"They cannot make a Zanpakutō without an Asauchi,"_ the Quincy added.

_"I know that! They don't though."_

"Well," Weiss had a rare determined look on her face, "I for one want to try. Even if we can't transform our weapons like Ichigo, using our Aura to strengthen them can only be a good thing."

"And awesome!" that was Ruby of course, "Crescent Rose is already awesome. If I can use my Aura to make it stronger, that's like...super-awesome!"

Yang was somewhat quiet for once, as she looked at her hands, clenching and unclenching her fists. That was odd...normally she was at least as talkative as her sister, if less motor-mouthed.

"I already do that," she finally said, getting strange looks from most of the team. And a nervous chuckle from Ruby, who had clearly forgotten something.

"You do?" Ichigo blinked.

A nod was his answer, "Yeah. Well, my Semblance anyway. Harder you hit me, the harder I hit back."

Ichigo didn't know what to think about that. His old man had said that using their spirit energy- Aura to Remnant -was something that could only be done with special training. The most basic of which was, in fact, using it to enhance a weapon. An Asauchi was nothing but a standard katana until a shinigami melded their own power with it, gradually changing the blade into a true Zanpakutō. No Hunter or Huntress that the old man knew had actually done the same...they could use their Aura to reinforce weapons, sure. That allowed for even mundane things like a table leg or something to be used as a weapon by a skilled enough fighter, though it was hardly efficient.

Actually using the Aura to improve a weapon's power? That was something he hadn't heard of before. Granted, if it was Yang's _Semblance_ that was a different story. Those were the closest the average Hunter or Huntress had to a Zanpakutō, so far as Ichigo knew. Unique to the person, and sometimes fairly outlandish...Yang was convinced that Ruby was every bit as fast as Ichigo, for instance and never ceased to tell him so.

This though...

"So it can be done then," Weiss had that look in her eye again...the one where she had latched onto something and wasn't going to let go.

"Ichigooooo," Ruby turned to her friend, "Can you teach us? Can you? Pleeeeassseee?"

Now feeling a blush creep up his face from the attention, Ichigo coughed, "I'm not a teacher..."

"None of us are," Blake was the voice of reason, as ever, "But this can help us fight Grimm. It's at least worth trying."

"Fine," the teen sighed, "Yang, you up for this?"

The blonde blinked, "Hey, don't drag me into this! My Semblance isn't something I can just teach."

Which left Ichigo alone here. As such, he sighed again, but didn't do anything else. His protective instinct was winning out over his lack of desire to try teaching something he had _barely_ mastered himself. He wasn't the old man, who was actually a fairly effective teacher when he wasn't being an overgrown child. Ichigo was _utter crap_ at teaching. But...

_They're all my friends, even Ice Queen. If I can help them..._

Well, he didn't have much choice in the matter. Ichigo wanted nothing more than to protect those close to him. As his team were quickly becoming his first real friends in years, they most certainly counted. If the best way he could protect was to help them learn better ways to fight...that was the least he could do. Even if he didn't really expect it to work all that well, not without an actual Zanpakutō to work with.

"I'll give it a shot," he sighed again.

"Thank you!" Ruby proceeded to jump up and tackle Ichigo to the ground, squeezing him tightly enough to make his face go red again.

It didn't help that Yang was laughing her ass off in the background. Even Weiss and Blake cracked smiles.

_What have I gotten myself into this time..._

Luckily, or unluckily depending on one's point of view, there was a knock on the door at that point. Weiss, acting as leader with Ruby still glomping Ichigo and launching rapid-fire questions at him, gave whoever it was permission to enter. Of course, the laughing and questions ended the moment the door opened. Revealing Glynda Goodwitch, who looked fairly disapproving of the antics. Granted, that was her default appearance. But still the point remained, that she looked rather unhappy. Considering Yang's laughing was probably loud enough to be heard in the hallway, that wasn't hard to believe...

"Ms. Rose, will you please let go of your teammate," the Huntress began, an exasperated tone to her voice.

"Yes ma'am!" Ruby quickly scrambled off Ichigo, her own face lighting up in a blush now.

"And you, Mr. Kurosaki, are coming with me."

Ichigo's eyebrow went up, "What'd _I_ do?"

"Nothing. Professor Ozpin, however, has requested your presence. Now."

Letting out a sigh, Ichigo did as he was told. He couldn't imagine what Ozpin wanted with him...but best not to keep the man waiting, and all that. Plus, it got him away from having to mangle his way through trying to teach his team, at least for now. That was a good thing in his book.

Even if he still had no idea what the older man could possibly want from him.

* * *

><p><strong>Blake Belladonna<strong>

* * *

><p>As Ichigo was pulled out of the room, Blake sighed softly and leaned back against her bunk. That had been an interesting discussion, to put things mildly. It was that reason that she hadn't said much during it. Her mind had been in overdrive, attempting to make sense of what the orangehead had been saying. She had never heard of a Zanpakutō before, and hadn't lied when she said as much. Not to mention what Ichigo described doing...melding his Aura with his weapon...was something that seemed impossible. While it was certainly possible to use an Aura to reinforce something, it was inefficient at best, dangerous at worst since it would deplete the fighters Aura. That was the reason weapons tended to be so complex, like her own Gambol Shroud. If a Huntress had a variable weapon, it made up for any weaknesses.<p>

The girl couldn't deny though, that for all the impossibilities that seemed to hover around Ichigo's statement, it was fascinating. If it was possible to meld an Aura with your weapon, without crippling it...that could be very useful. She could easily imagine increasing the power of Gambol Shroud's pistol rounds to punch through even that Deathstalker back at initiation. Or sharpening the blade to be more like Zangetsu, a weapon that had seemed to have no issues cutting through the Nevermore. Being able to fight that effectively...well, any Huntress would be excited at the idea.

However, Blake had another reason to be interested in what Zangetsu could do and the potential for learning it. As the image of Ichigo in her mind warped into a man with red hair, black clothing and a rose etched into his robe, the girl sighed softly.

_Adam..._

She had only seen the likes of Ichigo's Getsuga Tensho once before. And that was why the attack hit her so hard...it wasn't the same, hence her confusion in the forest...but it was similar _enough_ to bring back unwelcome memories.

"Well," Weiss' voice broke into the girl's thoughts, "I'm off to the library. I'm interested to see if Beacon has anything on this Zanpakutō of his."

"I'm not surprised you go straight to books," Yang grinned, "actually, I'm surprised that it isn't Blake suggesting the library."

"Huh?" the dark-haired girl blinked.

Yang just shook her head, "Zoning out? Are you Ichigo or something?"

A glare answered that statement, getting the blonde to put her hands up in mock-surrender. Of course, behind the glare Blake was inwardly smiling. Her partner had a way with getting her teammates out of their moods. Even perpetual scowler Ichigo Kurosaki smiled more often when Yang was making one of her horrible, _horrible_, puns.

"Anyway," the Ice Queen continued with a huff, "I believe the library is our best option. I doubt we will get anything more out of Ichigo, so using the largest resource we have available is only logical."

"If there's anything in there we can use," Blake countered.

Weiss turned her own infamous glare on the dark-haired girl this time, "And why _wouldn't_ there be?"

"Ichigo said that his Zanpakutō is a family weapon," the other girl replied, her bow twitching slightly in frustration, though the others didn't notice it, "and not one of us has ever heard of his family before."

"Good point," Weiss frowned.

There was silence after that statement, as the girls tried to figure out what to do next. Or, at least, Blake and the two who had talked to her tried. Ruby was bouncing back and forth on her feet, clearly thinking about something entirely different. Not that it surprised her teammate...Blake had learned a long time ago that Ruby was unique...in thought process, and attitude. That being said, it was an open question what exactly was on her mind. Not that it mattered to what was on her teammate's minds.

Figuring out how to tell if Ichigo was telling the truth or not...that wasn't as easy. It was going to be difficult, to put things mildly, to figure out what a Zanpakutō even _was_. There was no guarantee that Beacon's library would have something on them. And Blake knew none of _her_ books had anything. She would have remembered if they did.

"Guys," Ruby suddenly stopped fidgeting.

"Yeah sis?" Yang reacted first, as one would expect.

The leader had stopped moving, but she still had an eager look on her face, "I'm going to go try what he said on Crescent Rose!"

"...are you insane?" Weiss asked dubiously, "Actually, don't answer that."

Ruby pouted, "What's wrong with trying?"

"You have no idea what you're doing?" her partner answered rhetorically.

"But that doesn't mean I can't try! I know you want to too, it's too cool not to try!"

The eagerness in the younger girl's voice brought an ever so slight smile to Blake's face. Ruby, when she wasn't being socially awkward, was a bundle of energy the likes of which she had never seen before. It might be all those sweets she ate, but the fact remained that their leader was quite the excitable girl. When it came to weaponry or fighting, that was doubled. It didn't surprise the girl at all that Ruby was ready to go try what Ichigo had told them without him around. It would have surprised her _more_ if the other teen hadn't done so.

That being said...

"Eh, if she want's to try, let her," Yang leaned back against Weiss' bed, completely casual about the situation. She even shut her eyes.

"Aren't you her sister?" Weiss frowned, "Shouldn't you be against this?"

Yang just shrugged, "Nope. Ruby does what she wants to do."

_I wonder what their home life is like..._Blake couldn't help the smile this time.

"I'm surrounded by fools," Weiss held her face in her hands.

"Yang? Blake? Do you want to try too?" Ruby asked, doing her best to hold herself in place...Blake could swear she saw her leader vibrating.

Not opening her eyes, Yang shook her head, "Nah. I've got studying to do."

_Studying? Yang?_

A red-flag came from that statement for the blonde's partner. Yang wasn't one to shirk her classes, but she knew for a fact her friend would go for fighting over studying any day. Blake was understandably curious exactly what her friend was thinking. She wasn't going to be studying, that was for sure. Then what was she planing on doing? Waiting for Ichigo to get back to grill him on the questions all the girls still had? Or something else?

"Okay," Ruby did droop slightly at that, "Blake?"

Only looking at her leader for a second before returning to looking at Yang with questioning amber eyes, the dark-haired girl shook her head.

"Sorry...I...have homework."

"And I'm still going to the library," Weiss broke in before Ruby could ask her.

Grabbing her bag, Weiss swept out of the room with all the grace one would expect from an heiress. Though to Blake it just looked pointless...why act like that among friends? The 'Ice Queen' nickname was certainly well-earned, but Weiss had been acting more like a member of the group when she was among her teammates. Didn't stop her from having her moments though...the more frustrated she got, the more Weiss slipped into that haughty heiress persona of hers. And she was clearly frustrated at the moment.

Ruby on the other hand...

"See you later!" the redhead said, flashing out of the room with a flash of rose petals.

Leaving Blake and Yang alone, the latter sighing softly as she opened her lilac eyes. Eyes that started directly at Blake, without blinking once.

"Staying too huh?" the blonde asked.

"Yeah," Blake replied, "You aren't really studying are you?"

Getting to her feet, the other girl shook her head, "Nope. Well, not school studying. Mind if I look through your books?"

If Blake hadn't had questions before, she certainly had them now. This was _really_ out of character for Yang, even for how short she had known her boisterous partner. Yang was never one to go for the books, not like herself and Weiss. Even Ichigo only read those books he had brought from home. For Yang to be asking to see her private stash...something must be up. It couldn't be about the Zanpakutō issue, since she would have gone to the library if that were the case, to help Weiss. What else could Yang possibly need to read about though?

_Did Ichigo tell her something? That the rest of us don't know?_

"Why?" was about the only way the girl could reply to her partner.

"Curious," Yang shrugged again, "Ichigo said some strange things the first couple of days."

Well, that answered that question...

"He did what?"

Yang sighed, "Ever hear of a Hollow?"

"Hollow?"

"Exactly. He mentioned that his dad calls Grimm that. Didn't say _why_ though."

Blake wasn't sure what to think of that. Grimm were always called...Grimm. She had never once heard them called anything else. Leave alone 'Hollow'...though when she thought about it, the girl had to admit the name fit. Grimm were hollow beings, lacking the soul that gave life- and light -to everything else in Remnant. Calling them 'hollow' could fit in that regard, though it would still be odd. And the way Yang was wording it didn't imply that was the reason.

"Did he say anything else?" she asked, her own curiosity getting the better of her.

"About Hollows? Nope, and I'm kinda curious why," Yang replied, "On top of that, he can 'feel' Auras. That's just strange."

That was certainly strange, Blake could admit. Feeling another's Aura was something she had never heard of. Which seemed to be a regular occurrence when it came to Ichigo Kurosaki, in all honesty.

"How?" even Blake was getting tired of her monosyllabic answers...but there wasn't a whole lot more to say to something like that.

"No clue. That's why I want to look through the books."

"I don't know if I have anything on this."

Yang just shrugged, and walked over to her partner's books, "I get that you're a bookworm, but you can't have read all of these...right? Right."

Well...that was true. Blake hadn't read all the books she had with her yet, especially considering some of them she had picked up in Vale right before coming to Beacon. The odds were good, in fact, that about a third of them were new to her. But that didn't mean any of them had anything they could use. Between the 'Hollow' thing and feeling Aura's, what Yang wanted information on was just that outlandish. Only a handful of the books the dark-haired girl had were ones that _might _have something usable. Those being extremely old, and extremely rare, books she had gotten from a friend years ago and hadn't read yet.

It was certainly possible that there might be something on Ichigo's oddities in those books. By the same token though, it was just as likely that what they wanted was in the library.

"Why aren't we checking the library then?"

A snort answered that question, "Aside from Ice Queen? This'd be a bit more widespread if it were in the library, don't ya think?"

"...good point. You're smarter than you look Yang."

"Thanks for that one," the other girl laughed.

"No problem," Blake cracked a smile of her own, before moving to stand next to her partner, "are you sure you don't want to ask Ichigo himself?"

"Nah," Yang shrugged again, "Ichigo wouldn't tell me anything anyway. That guy's locked up tighter than Ozpin's drug stash."

"...what?"

Grinning, the blonde didn't bother elaborating on that joke. She just started digging through Blake's books, looking for anything that might have what they needed. Shaking her head bemusedly, the girl in question joined in. Maybe there was nothing in even her old, rare books that had anything on Ichigo's odd powers. Then again, there was always the chance there was something to be found. Even if it was a small, slim chance that probably wouldn't come to anything, it was still worth looking. Because the more Blake found out about Ichigo Kurosaki, the more odd he seemed.

If nothing else, she wanted some answers. These powers of his were odd and something she had never seen or heard of before. Wanting answers was only natural, especially for someone as naturally curious as Blake Belladonna. The potential advantages to figuring out how to do what he did were just icing on the proverbial cake really.

"Wonder what the Prof wanted with him though," Yang mused as she dug through an old book.

Blake shrugged elegantly, "No idea."

"Guess we'll have to wait and see?"

"Yeah."

And with that said, the girls began reading through the massive stack of books they had accumulated. Hopefully by the time Ichigo returned, they would have something to work with...

* * *

><p><strong>AN: There we go. As above, I hope this was good. I should clarify something...Ichigo's explanation? If that seemed weak and disjointed, that's intentional. Whatever else he is, Strawberry is not a good liar. Even with the Old Man's help, he can't lie to save his life. Hence, less than good deflections. <strong>

**Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. On to the reviews!**

**Reviews:**

**desdelor97, hollowichigo12, duskrider, Bl4ze777, Telron, shugokage, JJN37, Gravenimage, PredatorPuck, correnhimself316, Natzo, Angel Thera, The10thDoctor1964, Rakaan, Ranmaleopard, Exanime Draco:** Thanks for the reviews!

**PersonaQeminod1:** Summer isn't a Shinigami/Soul Reaper. Not sure where I'd go with her honestly...since God only knows what happened to her. Until that is revealed, I'm not going to touch on her much.

**Dark demon619:** Yeah, Ichigo's probably the bluntest member of this story's cast honestly. Yang is going to have a lot of fun at his expense too.

**yiggdrasill:** Yup, alt!Ichigo. I've been dropping hints, but his full past won't be revealed for some time yet. As for CoF...that's on hiatus while I wait for Kubo to show off Ichi's new Bankai. We're close enough to that from where Bleach is going that I figured it's easier to just wait and see, than make a new one up myself.

**xbox432:** Oh yeah, Ichigo and Yang probably have the most in common of the cast, the latter's personality aside. As for Cardin...suffice to say, I'm looking forward to that part of the story.

**Guest:** As above, it's just him being friends with the girls. It's _way_ too early for any sort of romance, regardless of the variety it takes...which is most assuredly not a Harem. If it reads that way, its certainly not intentional on my part.

**Chaos-Guard:** The pairing was decided before the story was even posted...so yes, there is one.

**Fifth Horseman:** Yeah, Ichigo's tempting fate every time he opens his mouth around Yang isn't he? Doesn't help that she's got that natural curiosity going on.

Ichigo's got all of his team's backs really, though Ruby might get the most of it early on, since she needed the support.

**Drake93:** Yup, pairing has already appeared. Several readers have even picked up on the hints and guessed it correctly.

**Assault Godzilla:** Yeah, for all his 'loner' tendencies, Ichigo's one of the better team players in fiction. With Cardin and co. running around...yeah, bullies are a given. Can't say anything on Ichigo's powers though, sorry...

I can understand people enjoy harems. It's just not for me, personally. I am excited for both Halo and SW, yes...though the former I'm not getting any time soon (no X-One).

**liberty86:** At the moment, Ichigo and his father are the only Shinigami in Remnant, yes.

**humbertorojo96:** As this chapter shows...Ichigo is being roped into a sorta-mentor role. Not willingly though.

**AN: I continue to be humbled by the interest and amount of reviews this is getting. I hope to see everyone review again! See you all next Friday.**


	7. Power of the Soul: Part II

**AN: And now our regularly scheduled chapter. This one came out...well, about as I expected it to. Hope everyone likes it!  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Ichigo Kurosaki<strong>

* * *

><p><em>Why could Ozpin possibly need me?<em>

If there was one thought going through the head of Ichigo Kurosaki at that moment, it was that one. He hadn't done anything out of the ordinary since his initiation, so he couldn't understand why the Headmaster would want to see him. Unless this _was_ about his initiation...which might be a problem. It was one thing to deflect his teammates questions, even with Zangetsu's aid. It was another thing entirely to try and do the same with Ozpin. The man seemed to know everything, or at least act like he did. Deflecting his questions was going to be extremely difficult, if that was even the reason he had called the teen up to his office.

For all he knew, Ozpin had some other reason for this. Not that Ichigo had the slightest clue what that could be.

"Come on in," the man in question's voice spoke up, as Goodwitch knocked on his door.

Following the strict woman in the office, Ichigo almost let out a whistle. The office was pretty damn expansive, probably larger than half his house to be honest. Ozpin hadn't struck him as the type to be egotistical though. But you could probably have fit three or more teams in the room with space to spare, and that was being generous. As for the man himself, he was sitting at an equally expansive desk, face fairly expressionless as usual. At least it wasn't an unfriendly expression...just...blank.

"You can leave Glynda," Ozpin continued.

"Professor?" Goodwitch clearly didn't know how to react to that.

"I need to speak to Ichigo alone."

Flashing a look between the two men, Goodwitch grudgingly nodded, "Yes sir."

Striding out of the room, the blonde woman sent one look back, before shutting the door behind her. Ozpin's face gained a bemused smile, as he shook his head at his subordinates actions.

"I apologize for Glynda," the Professor began, "She has always wanted to be involved in anything that may involve the students. While she is strict, she does truly care for everyone here."

Ichigo nodded, "I can understand that. So, why'd you call me up here?"

Ozpin leaned forward, his sharp eyes never once leaving Ichigo's own amber orbs. It would have been enough to make anyone uncomfortable, were Ichigo not used to the same look from the Quincy portion of his blade.

"You are aware that Beacon only selects the very best students to allow in, correct?" Ozpin asked.

"Of course," Ichigo replied, "That's why I had to work my ass off to get in here."

"Indeed. Would I be correct in assuming you realize that you are a special case?"

All Ichigo could do there was nod. What else _was_ there to do? He was well aware he was a special case from the moment he applied to Beacon, without asking the old man first. Beacon only accepted the best...and to be the best, one would logically have to go to one of the Academies. In Ichigo's case, that would have been Signal. However, he had obviously not gone to that academy...as Yang had pointed out the very first day. In point of fact, Ichigo had _zero_ formal schooling in Remnant.

"Yeah," was really all he could say to that.

"I will not lie to you...you are neither the first, nor the only student to get into Beacon without providing a formal education," the Professor continued, "it is still exceedingly rare however, even more so with a fighter of your skill."

As he said that, Ozpin took a sip from the coffee he always seemed to have with him. Ichigo was half-convinced it wasn't actually coffee...how else could he drink so damn much of it?

"It takes exceptional skill to pass the entrance exam with no formal training. Exceptional skill, and an exceptional tutor- most students who choose not to go to an Academy have a Huntsman or Huntress train them personally. You, however, were not, am I correct?"

The questions were beginning to hit a _little_ too close to home now. Ichigo scowled deeper than usual, as he nodded shortly.

"Yeah, I wasn't trained by a tutor. My old man taught me everything I know...what does it matter?"

Ozpin didn't show any reaction to Ichigo's blunt words, "It is interesting that you succeeded in our entrance exam despite being taught by a man who himself never went through any formal schooling."

_Oh...damn..._

**"Well...shit. We didn't think of that one, did we Kingy?"**

_"Indeed."_

Therein lay the flaw in Ichigo's 'taught by his father' story. While certainly true...it was also true that Isshin Kurosaki was not a trained Huntsman. Shinigami, hell yeah...one of the best there was, if his stories were any indication. But he hadn't gone to any school in Remnant...not when he hadn't been born here. In fact, if one looked deep enough, they could find flaws in _Isshin's_ story of his life. Which was not a good thing, since Ozpin seemed the type to be the one to look that deep. If he could figure out that Ichigo and his family weren't from Remnant originally...there went his entire story. And possibly his friends, since what were the odds that the Professor would let someone like him stay in the Academy?

After all, his powers were something that were so out of whack with the rest of Remnant. Ozpin...he might not want to risk it, even if Ichigo had precisely zero intention of hurting anyone around him.

"About that," Ichigo tried, scratching the back of his neck nervously, "The old man was..."

The Professor just held up a hand, "Relax, I am not asking you to tell me about why your father wasn't an Academy student. As I said, it is not unheard of for a Huntsman to never attend a formal academy. While it is exceedingly odd to never attend a late Academy such as Beacon or Haven, it is not by any means an issue."

_Then why did you call me up here?!_

Ozpin was confusing Ichigo now. He couldn't see where the man was going with his questions. If his lack of formal training- and his father's lack for that matter -were non-issues, than why was he up here?

"Why am I up here then?"

At that question, Ozpin rose to his feet, walking around the desk. The Professor stopped in front of Ichigo, and looked at the sword on his back. That look got a frustrated sigh out of the teen. Of _course_ it was about Zangetsu. Was it too much to ask for him to _not_ have to make up excuses about his blade? It was getting a bit frustrating.

**"What'd ya expect? _Everyone'll _want to know about us."  
><strong>

For once the Hollow actually had a point. Sighing again, Ichigo just pulled the daito off his back, setting it on the Professor's desk. At least the thing was sealed...Zangetsu's unsealed form wouldn't have fit on even that expansive desk.

"Zangetsu?" Ichigo asked rhetorically, "You want to know about it too I'm guessing?"

"Indeed," the older man replied, looking at the blade with a curious light in his eyes...something new from Ichigo's perspective.

"Everyone does," the teen sighed.

A chuckle answered that, "I would imagine so. I assume your teammates have already asked you about your weapon?"

"Interrogated me is more like it," Ichigo grumbled, though it was more good-natured than it might otherwise have been...annoying questions aside, they _were_ his friends.

The smile didn't leave the Professor's face, as he turned back to the blade sitting on his desk. Other than Zangetsu complaining about the look, nothing really changed. The man didn't reach for the blade, or do anything else. Merely stare at it, like he was trying to unravel it's secret with just his eyes. Considering Ichigo didn't know how much he actually _knew_ about a Zanpakutō...well, it was an open question what exactly his eyes were finding. No one in Remnant _should_ know what a Zanpakutō was. That didn't mean it was necessarily true though...Ozpin seemed the type to know more than he was letting on.

"It is not hard to understand why your team would have questions," Ozpin finally spoke up, "I have had much the same reaction. You have a very curious weapon, Ichigo."

Shrugging, the teen inwardly sighed, "Yeah, I know. Zangetsu's an odd weapon."

"That is certainly true. In fact, I will admit to having never seen a weapon of this type before."

_Well, at least there's _that_..._

"It's a family thing," Ichigo shrugged again.

Ozpin merely nodded, "I assumed so. Nonetheless, it is very curious that you can transform your weapon without any mechanism. Most students create their weapons with transformation in mind, barring a few like Ms. Schnee. To transform a sword into two different swords however, is unheard of."

Sighing again, Ichigo started to relay the same story he had told his team. The practice beforehand made it go easier at least. His voice didn't shake once and other than having to run his hand through his hair a couple times in nervousness at the way Ozpin showed no reaction to the story, it was significantly easier than it had been when he first told it to his team. Easier perhaps, but that didn't make it particularly _fun_ by any means. The more people that Ichigo told this lie to, the more likely someone would poke a hole in it. Both he and Zangetsu knew that the story was far from iron-clad after all.

_"It is the only option we have,"_ the Quincy replied, when Ichigo voiced that thought as the Professor mulled over what he said.

_"I know that."_

_"Indeed. However, we may not have a choice but to tell the truth. You must be prepared for that eventuality Ichigo."_

_"...yeah, I know."  
><em>

He didn't want to have to tell the truth of course, for various reasons.

"Aura manipulation," Ozpin finally spoke, a curious tone to his voice, "I have heard of this before. I believe your classmate, Lie Ren, is capable of using his Aura offensively rather well. Though in his case, it is merely to enhance physical blows."

"Figured I wasn't the only one," Ichigo shrugged, though there was a much more relaxed feel to it this time...if he wasn't the only one who manipulated his Aura...

"However, using Aura to change a weapon's form is not something I am familiar with."

And there was the issue again.

"I would like to see one of these Zanpakutō myself," the Professor continued, "But I believe that is not possible, correct?"

Ichigo scratched the back of his neck, "Not really. Dad and I have the only ones around right now."

Which wasn't technically a lie. Isshin had brought all of _one_ Asauchi to Remnant...the one that Ichigo had used to form Zangetsu. As a result, it was entirely true that the only Zanpakutō that Ozpin could see were Zangetsu and Engetsu...and that didn't really help Ichigo's case. It would have been better if there _was_ an Asauchi lying around somewhere. At least then the Professor could see what it was like to have a 'new' Zanpakutō. As it sat though, all Ichigo had to offer was the story he had told.

"I expected that to be the case," Ozpin's smile didn't falter, "I assume your team has already asked to learn how to manipulate Aura?"

_Wait...how did he know that?_

"Yes?" Ichigo replied, wondering what the Professor was planning.

The Professor merely sat back down, sipping his coffee, "I had assumed they would ask that. Every student at Beacon for as long as I have been headmaster has had a drive to learn whatever they can. Your team would be no different, and with the abilities you posses, it is not hard to see why they may want to learn Aura manipulation themselves."

Taking another sip from his coffee, Ozpin's sharp eyes stared directly into Ichigo's own amber orbs.

"If you are determined to mentor your team, be careful."

_Yeah yeah...wait, what?_

"What?" Ichigo asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Training in something that is not taught at this Academy is something I would normally not condone," the older man continued, "As the safety of my students is my top priority. Working in an area I myself do not know is dangerous, as I am sure you are aware."

Ichigo nodded, though he didn't really see much of an issue himself. Granted, that was his personal experience talking. He had more power tied up in his body than anyone he knew outside his old man. And when he was training to control it, the only danger was accidentally setting off a flare of energy...that might have damaged a wall or two. Or wrecked a building.

Okay...maybe Ozpin did have a point...

"...you have a point."

A chuckle came from the Professor, ironically doing more to put Ichigo on edge since it was odd to hear that from him.

"That being said, while this is normally something I could not allow, I am willing to make an exception- provided you have a Professor observing the training at all times," the smile grew ever so slightly, "you can never know...if this training proves valuable, I may make it a portion of the regular curriculum."

_Damn...damn...**damn...**_

Ichigo and his Hollow-side's thoughts merged at the end of that sentence, both of them sweating. It was bad enough having to train the rest of team RWBIY...teaching the entire damn school? What had he gotten himself into this time?

"..." the teen scowled, "seriously?"

Ozpin appeared more amused than anything, "Yes, I am being serious. I truly believe that this could benefit not just you, or your team, but the entire Academy. That, of course, presumes you are able to pass on what you know. Until we have established this, I would like you to keep this between you and your team however. And you would not be required to do more than help the Professors, should they request the aid."

"Sure...can I go now?"

The Professor nodded, "Of course. Just remember what I have told you."

"It'd be hard not to."

And with that, Ichigo left the office, his mind racing. Racing to the point that he didn't notice that Ozpin had a message ready to send to a certain dusty old crow at Signal...

* * *

><p><strong>Weiss Schnee<strong>

* * *

><p><em>I have...no idea what I'm doing...<em>

Weiss Schnee, heiress to the famous- infamous depending on whom you asked -Schnee family was distinctly unused to this feeling. She had always known exactly what she was doing, and how to do it. With the amount of training she had to go through to get where she was in her life, that was a given. Everything was always neatly laid out and set up where she would understand it perfectly. That was how she had grown up, and it was how Beacon's classes had gone. So long as she gave everything the requisite amount of attention, she would understand it.

So being completely out of her depth in the _massive_ library that Beacon possessed was a new feeling for her. She wasn't a bookworm like a certain dark-haired teen, but the Schnee mansion had a fairly substantial library of its own. With her highly regimented life- as a proper Lady, Weiss had hardly had time for things most teenage girls would do -reading had seemed like an escape at times. But in those cases...she had known exactly where and what she was looking for.

Being in Beacon's much larger library with only a single word, Zanpakutō, to work with...that was something Weiss wasn't prepared for. Not that she was about to back out, of course.

"Where do I begin," the heiress muttered to herself, walking through the massive stacks of books.

There weren't a whole lot of students in the library this early on a weekend, so at least she didn't have to worry about someone getting in her way. However, it didn't help the girl much in finding what she needed.

"I guess I can start with the computer..."

Moving to an open station, Weiss sat down in the small seat and booted up the holographic screen. Sniffing slightly at using the older-model computer, Weiss paused before she began typing.

_How is Zanpakutō_ _even_ spelled_?_

She hardly knew any foreign languages. Remnant in general had settled on Atlas' language some time ago, as a sign of unity after the Great War. While there were still regional dialects, notably in Vacuo, it was very rare these days. So when Ichigo spoke in some funky language that the heiress had never heard before, it gave her no indication of how to _spell_ the thing she was looking for. Sighing softly, Weiss made an attempt at spelling it.

"Zan...Zanpak..."

Muttering under her breath, the white-haired girl sounded out the word and hoped she had spelled it correctly only for...

**No Information**

"Oh come on," Weiss groaned, even if she had somewhat expected this.

Luckily for her, Yang had sent her a belated message once she had left the room. Ruby had mentioned awhile back that Zanpakutō evidently meant 'Soul Cutter'. Ominous name aside, if the translation was correct that might be more likely to have something in the system. After all, if _Weiss_ didn't recognize the native language, then it was doubtful Beacon's system would. Now the translation on the other hand...that might work somewhat better.

As such, the girl entered Soul Cutter into the system. And promptly blinked when it spit out three results.

"I...didn't expect that to work..."

Staring at the screen, Weiss quickly memorized the titles of the books in question, in addition to their numbers. It was times like this she was thankful for her training in memorizing etiquette, since it helped her in other tasks. Especially as she had enough respect for Ichigo's privacy to not want others digging into it...he may have been a boor, but at least he was _somewhat_ nice to her. Clearing the screen, Weiss moved to the massive stacks of books all around her. Most were Beacon-issue textbooks, dull green covers marking them as such.

What Weiss was looking for, however, was quite different. Going into a deeper section of the library, she almost marveled at the age of some of these books. Blake would have a field day if she saw these...

_Focus Weiss...focus..._

Ignoring the books around her, the heiress continued towards where she expected the three she was looking for to be.

"There you are," she smiled slightly, pulling the books in question off the shelf. All of them were old, practically ancient in fact. At least to her...the publication dates had all been over a century before she was born.

The titles weren't particularly promising though, even if the age gave them metaphorical weight.

_Tales of Myths and Legends_

_Greatest Mysteries of Remnant_

_Legend of the Reaper_

Even with her prior memorization of the titles, what had allowed her to find them so easily, Weiss couldn't quite hold back a sigh at those titles. She was almost surprised that even Beacon had had these books. They sounded more like bad fiction than historical archives. Seriously...legends and myths? Ichigo's sword was odd, there was no denying that. But legendary or mythical?

With another sigh, Weiss shook her head.

_It doesn't matter what _I_ think of these books. Anything that may answer our questions is worth looking into._

That fact remained true, even as the heiress sniffled at the thought of having to take _these_ books to check out. Ichigo was clearly not going to tell them anything else, so books it was. No matter how outlandish they may appear to be. So plastering her best 'cheery' smile on her face, Weiss walked up to the librarian. The elderly woman- seriously, were all librarians elderly women? -smiled slightly when she saw the heiress. Weiss could imagine that most students at Beacon didn't regularly check out books...they probably took advantage of the size of the library to just read them in there.

"Hello, I would like to check out these books," the white-haired girl said as cheerfully as she could manage without making herself gag.

"Of course dear," the librarian seemed to have bought the act hook, line and sinker too, "My, I can't remember the last time a student read these old things."

"It's a personal project," Weiss replied, maintaining the cheerful voice.

The older woman smiled kindly, "I am sure it's an interesting project. There you go dear, these just need to be returned in two weeks."

"Thank you!"

Giving a short little wave, Weiss moved out the library. Her normal facial features returned, as she shook her head. Acting like that was never fun...even less fun than acting emotionless. Oh well, at least it was for a good cause...if any of these damn books had anything worth getting. She still wasn't entirely convinced of that. It just didn't seem...normal...for anything to be useful in a book about legends.

But if it was all she could get...well, at least it was something. Now she just had to get the books back to the room, and look over them with her non-mysterious teammates. Maybe there was another book on the subject in Blake's stash too...now that they had an idea what to look for, it might be easier to find something. Though hopefully Blake's books wouldn't be so...trashy. Old or not.

"Weiss! I think I did it Weiss!"

Before she had gone more than a few steps, however, the white-haired girl was nearly knocked over by a very _red_ person.

"Ruby?!"

Standing in front of her, unrepentant grin on her face, was a _glowing red_ Ruby Rose. Weiss did the only thing she could do in this situation...place her face in her hand like Ichigo did.

* * *

><p><strong>Ruby Rose<strong>

* * *

><p><em>How do I do this again?<em>

Ruby Rose was staring down on Crescent Rose, thoroughly at a loss on how to proceed. She had been sitting on the roof of Beacon, since the training room was occupied, for the last hour. But the youngest student at the Academy had _no idea_ how to get it working. 'It', of course, being melding her Aura with her weapon. It had seemed so simple too! Just focus her Aura on her beloved weapon, and then...it would be awesome! But no matter what Ruby tried, it stubbornly refused to work. Granted, that may be her inexperience showing. She was extremely skilled..._extremely skilled_...for her age. But Uncle Qrow had really only taught her how to use Crescent Rose...otherwise, she was still at a level two years below the rest of Beacon.

Unfortunately for _her_, that included her Aura training. She could use it to defend herself well enough, but Ruby relied almost entirely on the excellent craftsmanship of Crescent Rose and her instinctively good use of her Semblance while fighting. She hadn't really felt the _need_ to train her Aura much, beyond the defensive use every Huntress had to use on instinct. So trying to use it in a way it wasn't really meant to be used- at least outside Ichigo's family, apparently -was proving more than a little difficult for her to manage.

"Come on, it can't be that hard!" Ruby grumbled, shaking her 'sweetheart'.

Naturally, Crescent Rose didn't give a reply to the shaking. Ruby just pouted, and sat down, staring at her weapon with a mystified look in her silver eyes. How did Ichigo do it? Ruby remembered him glowing blue when he 'released' Zangetsu. She had felt _something_ from him...but she had been a bit busy at the time! Nonetheless, if she started glowing she knew she was doing something right.

_But how do I do it_?

Groaning softly, Ruby focused on what she did know about Aura work. It was the manifestation of her soul...check. Every living thing, barring Grimm of course, had one...check. To use it properly, she had to activate it...double check! Maybe that was the issue? The cloaked girl didn't ordinarily _think_ about using her Aura. Once it had been activated the first time, it had been instinct.

Focusing again, Ruby tried to dig back through her memories.

"How do I do this again?" she muttered, thinking back to her Uncle's lessons, "What did Uncle Qrow say? Something about..."

_"Aura is the manifestation of our soul Ruby," Qrow said, cleaning the mechanism of his own scythe._

_"Awesome!" a younger Ruby had replied, her eyes gleaming with interest...both for what her Uncle was saying, and the weapon he was cleaning._

_"It is," the older man agreed, a smile on his face...one only Ruby ever got to see, "But it is also very important for you to know Ruby."  
><em>

_She had cocked her head, looking at her Uncle curiously, "Why is that Uncle Qrow?"_

_Qrow had simply sighed, placing his cleaning tools down, "As I said, Aura is the manifestation of our Souls...the light of our lives. Every living being, from you down to the smallest insect, has an Aura." _

_"Except for Grimm!"_

_"Indeed...except for the Grimm. Grimm lack a soul, it is what truly separates them from all they hunt. This lack of a soul also means Grimm lack an Aura however."_

_As he said that, the older man had put his weapon back together, giving a satisfied smile at the awed look on his niece's face. Ever since Ruby had been a kid she had practically been in love with his scythe...the first thing she had done at Signal was corner her Uncle and beg him to teach her how to use one. Of course, Qrow had resisted at first...scythe's were highly dangerous weapons, as liable to slice the wielder up as a Grimm. It took a lot of skill and practice to use one properly._

_The one thing the teacher had always underestimated was his tiny niece's puppy eyes however. Not even Yang was immune to Ruby when she broke those out, complete with a pout. Hence, the reason a disassembled red scythe was sitting next to the pair...the beginnings of Crescent Rose.  
><em>

_"It is this lack of an Aura," Qrow continued, "That gives Huntsman and Huntresses our main advantage over Grimm. Aura shields us, and can give us strength that the Grimm cannot counter. That is why it is important for every Hunter or Huntress to learn Aura as soon as they begin training seriously...including you, young lady."_

_Ruby had just looked at her feet, far and away more interested in building her weapon. Qrow had not missed this, which was why he had brought her to his office in the first place. If anyone would teach his niece how to use Aura, it would be him._

_"I know..." the girl had muttered, kicking her feet slightly._

_Her uncle had just smiled, grabbing Ruby's hands in his own, well-calloused limbs. The older man had shut his eyes at that point, and guided Ruby through how to activate her Aura..._

"Right!" Ruby shouted, pumping her fist as the memory faded, "That was how he did it!"

Shutting her own silver eyes, Ruby focused on the familiar feeling. She could feel her Aura...the defensive energy quite familiar to her. Focusing on coaxing it out from its usual 'defense' state, she then picked up Crescent Rose. Getting her Aura activated without doing it on instinct was one thing...and not what she was here for. No, Ruby wanted to get her weapon using her Aura, just like Ichigo had said! If she could do that without his help...that would be something!

As such, Ruby focused on her Aura, and then on the familiar feeling of her weapon in her hands. It was extremely odd...but she could _feel_ her Aura connecting to the weapon. Like it was becoming a part of the Aura, not just a piece of metal in her hands. She almost dropped Crescent Rose in shock at the feeling, eyes snapping open and widening.

"Whoa!"

Now that she could see, Ruby blinked owlishly as she saw her body glowing crimson. She recognized the color from her training with her uncle...the color of her Aura. More importantly, however, her _weapon_ was glowing ever so softly. It wasn't changing shape like the teenage girl had seen Zangetsu do...but she had at least managed to get part of the work right. She had to show the others!

"I did it!"

Grinning so widely it might split her face, Ruby flashed into her Semblance, looking for any of her teammates. Luckily for her, the library wasn't that far away...which meant Weiss wasn't that far away. Charging down the hallways, petals falling all around and leading more than a few students to spin around wondering what had flashed by them, Ruby rapidly approached her destination. She couldn't stop a squeal of joy from leaving her lips either, when she saw Weiss leaving the library with three books in hand. Not for the books obviously, but for what she had done and the eagerness to let her partner know.

Weiss was still always on her for not studying as much as she could. Well, now she had done something that only Ichigo could do!

"Weiss! I think I did it Weiss!" Ruby shouted, coming to a stop so fast she sent her partner spinning.

"Ruby?!" the heiress replied, her blue eyes widening at her partner...before she placed her face in her palm in an Ichigo-esque gesture.

The younger girl frowned, "Weiss?"

"I am not seeing this..." her partner muttered, "Ruby, _why_ are you glowing?"

Looking down, Ruby realized that, in fact, she _was_ still glowing red. Blinking again, Ruby looked up at her partner and giggled slightly.

"Oops?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And there we go. Some work with Ichigo, a bit of character moment for Ruby (and Qrow). And of course, the mystery books. I did say we would be trending a bit differently with the sub-arcs didn't I? Hope everyone liked it. Now, for the reviews: <strong>

**Rakaan, silentstrixe, shugokage, weismax33, Gravenimage, Ranmaleopard, duskrider, JJN37, desdelor97, hollowichigo12, Taeniaea:** Thanks for the reviews!

**PersonaQeminod1:** If I use anything that is from the Fillers, it won't be for a _looonnnggg_ time. I'm firmly set on not having any Bleach characters outside the Kurosakis pop up (outside flashbacks) until at least the end of Volume 3 of RWBY.

**yiggdrasill:** Well, while I can't say _who_ Weiss will end up with, as this chapter shows...I'm aiming on going deeper into her character. Well, every member of RWB(I)Y really...

**The Digger92:** Thanks!

**Hollow Saigo no Getsuga Tensho:** Can't say at the moment. That's another of those 'can't say where Ichigo's power level is' things.

**Takei Daloui:** Yup, I update every Friday, barring something major coming up. And yes, that's the goal of the girls...enhance their existing weapons, more than transform them.

**lolperson2:** As above, I update every Friday.

**Fifth Horseman:** Yeah, Isshin meeting any member of that team would be...iffy. Ruby is proving one of the funner ones to write actually...I'm not used to writing a character quite like her.

**Exanime Draco:** Yeah, Ozpin strikes me as the Kisuke type. Now where he's holding his cards here...well, since it wasn't from his perspective I'm keeping the readers guessing for now.

**The10thDoctor1964:** Yeah, the girls aren't going to find out the truth about Ichigo's past for awhile yet. They'll get hints though.

Can't say on Ichigo's Bankai, unfortunately.

I'm not so much focusing on this before CoF, as that story _is_ relying on what Ichi's new Bankai is. Waiting until Kubo gets around to that, before updating it.

**AN: Again, I hope everyone liked the chapter! Also kinda hoping we can keep up this '20 reviews per chapter' thing. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't nice...so I hope to see everyone review if you liked it!**


	8. Power of the Soul: Part III

**AN: And here we are with the next chapter, and the last of our little mini-arc. Hope everyone enjoys it!  
><strong>

**Also, I continue to be humbled by the love for this story...26 reviews for last chapter? Thank you everyone! Hopefully we can keep the ball rolling.**

* * *

><p><strong>Yang Xiao Long<br>**

* * *

><p>"...how many books <em>do<em> you have anyway?"

"A lot."

"I can tell. Jeez Blake, how did you even carry all of these?"

"It wasn't easy."

Yang shook her head in amazement, as the dark-haired girl next to her didn't even look up from what she was doing. Carrying all of these books? Even _she_ would have had issues with that. How in the hell did Blake manage it? Taking shifts maybe? Regardless of how she did it though, the point remained. This really was a miniature library, like Ichigo had joked on the second day. Not to mention a lot of these books were ones Yang had never seen before. She wasn't a bookworm by any definition of course...much preferring physical activity to spend her free time on. But the blonde still read occasionally.

And a lot of these books really were ones that were a mystery to her. If the situation were any different though, it was doubtful the blonde would really _care_ about that though. Reading through Blake's mini-library wasn't exactly high on her to-do list. As such, the only reason she was even doing so was the hope that these books might clear up some of her questions in relation to one Ichigo Kurosaki. More specifically in this case, his mention of calling Grimm 'Hollow' and his ability to sense Aura. Weiss could handle the Zanpakutō side of things...hopefully.

That left it up to Yang and Blake to look for the other things.

"Find anything yet?" the blonde asked, shutting her own book with a sigh. Nothing at all in that one.

"Nothing," Blake shrugged, moving to another book, "not even one mention of Hollows."

"Same here," Yang frowned, "It's like a needle in a haystack. Scratch that, that would be easier than this."

A slight smile crossed the other girl's face, "Maybe. We might not find anything you know."

"You think so?"

"Yeah. You did say that Ichigo's father is where he got Hollow from...we don't know if that's just him or not."

"Good point..."

Blake shrugged, "There might be something on sensing Aura. I...felt something myself, when he used that attack. Did you?"

"Kinda," Yang replied, "I mean, I don't know _what_ I felt. Other than Ichigo trying to burn out my eyes with his Aura anyway."

Joke aside, the blonde really _didn't_ know how to describe the feeling. It was...extremely odd. When Ichigo had used his Shi...Shi...whatever he called it, a feeling had come over Yang. And the other girls for that matter. A feeling like...well, like something was pushing down on her. When Ichigo was around normally, there wasn't any feeling coming from him, regardless of what he said about sensing Aura.

When he had used that attack though...

"It felt like a weight," Blake said, setting her latest book aside, "Like something was pushing me down."

"Yeah, exactly," Yang nodded, "I've never felt that with Ruby before!"

"I've never felt anything like it either. So, at least in that case..."

The blonde caught on quickly, "We know it's possible to feel Ichigo's Aura."

"Yes."

Yang sighed again, "But how does _he_ do it? I can't figure that out."

"Hmm," Blake leaned back, shutting her eyes. Yang blinked, as the other girl evened her breathing out. Was she meditating or something?

"Umm..." the blonde spoke, "What're you doing? Is it nap time?"

Not replying, the dark-haired girl just continued to lean back against her bed. Yang shook her head slightly, an amused smile tugging at her lips. Evidently Blake was bitten by the Ruby-bug...and was trying to learn the sensing thing on her own.

_Well, good luck Blake! I guess that means I have to look through the books...fun._

Getting back to her work, Yang continued to look through the books around her. Stacks were forming to either side of the teen, as she set the books aside. Most of them weren't any use really. They were either too _new_, or had titles that didn't lend them to having the information she needed. Like...Ninja's of L...ov...

"Blake?"

Eyes snapping open at the choked off laugh in Yang's voice, her partner blinked slowly. Before she noticed the book Yang held in her shaking hands. Blake's eyes widened, as a fierce blush took over her cheeks. The girl moved forward, hands grabbing at Yang's. For her part, the blonde just let out a laugh, and held the book up as Blake tried to grab it from her. She didn't have _that_ much of a height advantage on her partner, but it was enough to make this amusing. Poor Blake didn't know how to react.

"I know we're looking for stuff on Ichigo," she got out between laughs, "But really Blake? What else are you hiding in this library? Anything I should know about?"

As Blake turned her patented glare on Yang, the blonde just laughed again, and handed the book over.

"Or, should I say, is there anything in here I don't want Ruby finding?"

"Very funny Yang," the dark-haired girl frowned, carefully putting the incriminating book away, "Did you find anything?"

A shrug answered that, "Nah. I don't think you have anything. Did it work?"

"No," Blake sighed softly, "I tried relaxing and using my own Aura to sense yours. I didn't feel anything though...I'm not sure how Ichigo does it."

"That makes two of us. Well, I guess we just need to wait on the Ice..."

"Don't _even_ say it."

Yang and Blake both turned to the door, to see the girl in question giving them an annoyed look. Granted, Weiss Schnee almost _always_ had an annoyed look on her face, so that wasn't new. The three books she had in her arms were new on the other hand. So clearly she had found _something_. Question was, was there anything she had found that was worthwhile? And why was she standing in the doorway like that?

"Hey Weiss," Yang chuckled, "you find anything?"

The Heiress sniffed, "Something? Yes. I doubt it will do us any good though. And Yang...please tell your sister to stop glowing like a flashlight."

"Glowing like a..."

Before the blonde could question that statement, Weiss moved into the room. Revealing Ruby standing behind her, a crimson light surrounding her body and weapon. Yang blinked, her lilac eyes widening. Had Ruby...actually done it? Melded her Aura with Crescent Rose like she was trying? There was even some sort of feeling in the air...like static electricity running over her arms. Neither Blake nor Weiss seemed to realize that though.

_Is it because we're sisters?_

Familiarity...maybe that was the key to feeling other Auras? Ichigo might be experienced enough it didn't matter, but if it helped...that would explain why Yang felt the hair on her arms stand up when she looked at her sister. She hadn't felt like this before, not when Ruby trained. Considering that Yang trained with her sister when they were both at Signal still...it was odd, to say the least.

"Ruby?"

The younger sister grinned, "I think I did it Yang! But I can't make it stop..."

"I can tell," the blonde smiled herself, though she did walk to her sister, "You can't make it stop?"

"Nope," Ruby replied, looking at her glowing body.

"Why?"

At that, her grin faltered slightly, "I don't know. I can feel my Aura more than normal, but I can't get it to go back to normal. It's freaky!"

"I can imagine," Yang turned around, "Weiss, while we wait for Ichigo mind sharing the books?"

In response, the Heiress handed off the books to Blake, "Why not. I doubt we'll find anything useful."

"Why?" the blonde asked, sitting on Blake's bed with her glowing sister.

"Because they're all books about myths and legends. Hardly something that helps us."

Blake was silent as she looked over the books. Yang, for her part, just frowned slightly. Like Weiss had felt earlier, it seemed odd to her that the only reference they seemed to have was old legends. Ichigo's sword was odd, but a legendary weapon? That would be even weirder, and Yang didn't know how much weirdness she could deal with.

It seemed like _everything_ to do with the other teen was weird and unbelievable. How many oddities could be in one person?

"Hmm..." Blake hummed, looking through the books, and breaking into Yang's thoughts.

That being said, it might take some time for the other girl to look through those books. So Yang turned back to her sister, and decided that figuring out the weird feeling she was getting from Ruby was more important at the moment. That, and figuring out what the _hell_ she had done to her Aura in the first place.

"Hey, Ruby?" Yang turned back to her sister.

"Huh?" the younger girl asked, looking up from her glowing arms.

"What did you even _do_ out there anyway sis?" at that question, Yang poked her sister in the arm, somewhat surprised when her finger bounced off the light, "I mean, this is..."

"Awesome?" Ruby suggested.

"Yeah," her sister agreed with a grin, "Until you think about stopping it."

Ruby looked down at her arms again, "Yeah..."

Pulling her sister down to the floor next to her as Blake and Weiss poured over the books, Yang grinned at the younger girl. Ruby grinned back, giggling slightly at the way they were sitting. This was just like when Uncle Qrow had taught her how to use her Aura. Something Yang knew well enough, since she had been there during a couple of the lessons. In this case though, it was up to her to help her sister with using her Aura. Or, more importantly, figure out how _not_ to use the thing. Because clearly Ruby couldn't figure out how to make her Aura go back to normal.

Back to normal...from whatever she had done to it. If it had just been her glowing, Yang would assume that her sister just couldn't stop using her Aura out of excitement or something. Which had happened before...when Ruby got excited, strange things happened. But this wasn't one of those cases. The way she was giving off a strange...aura...that her sister could feel, for one. And the fact that Crescent Rose was glowing just as much, even when Ruby wasn't directly touching the weapon.

This was almost exactly like Ichigo.

"So little sister," Yang patted her sister's shoulder, "what did ya do?"

"I did what Uncle Qrow taught me!" the younger girl replied as energetically as ever, "Focus on my Aura and try to bring it up! Then I thought about making it touch Crescent Rose. When I opened my eyes, I was glowing like this. It kinda feels weird."

_You've got that right Ruby..._

"Any idea how it happened?"

"Nope."

Yang frowned, "How did you do it then?"

"No idea," Ruby shrugged, "I'm just glad I did! I mean, I did something so awesome on my first try!"

Frankly, Yang didn't have it in her to say that the problem of not being able to _stop_ made Ruby's accomplishment a bit more...iffy.

"I mean, I know I focused on getting my Aura on Crescent Rose," the excitable redhead continued, "I felt it happen too. Like...like...like my Aura stretching out. Like a rubber band! I can't really describe it Yang, you have to try it yourself!"

Laughing at her sisters enthusiasm, Yang just shook her head, "Not a good idea sis. I'm 'all fiery' remember? I don't think Weiss would appreciate me setting the room on fire."

"No I wouldn't!"

Both sisters broke down in giggles at that shout. And the glare Weiss was sending there way, as she snapped her book shut. Setting it aside, the heiress sighed slightly and shook her head. Giggles trailing off, Yang cocked her head at that. Was there something wrong with the book?

"Anyway, there was nothing in that book," the white-haired girl continued, "Not that I expected anything. I mean, what were the odds that a book called '_Tales of Myths and Legends' _would actually have anything?"

"Nothing at all?" Ruby asked, a curious look on her face.

Weiss sighed again, "Well, there was a reference to a 'Reaper' using a weapon called a Soul Cutter. But there wasn't any detail on it."

"The same goes for '_Greatest Mysteries',"_ Blake commented, "_Legend of the Reaper_ though..."

Yang felt a rush of excitement at the tone in her partner's voice. Blake had clearly found something. Maybe they finally had some answers on just what was up with Ichigo? Jumping up, she moved over to the dark-haired girl, with Ruby blinking at how fast her sister had moved. The blonde sat next to her partner, who blinked just as Ruby had. Yang didn't particularly care or notice however. Ichigo's mysteries had been tickling her curiosity since she first met the guy, and this might 'scratch the itch' so to speak.

At least, that was what she hoped.

"What'd you find?" she asked excitedly.

Blake just blinked again, before holding the book up and reciting a passage from it.

_"The Reaper has only been sighted by a handful of people, and never in the same place twice. Clad entirely in black, he wears a cloak that obscures all his features beyond sharp grey eyes. Eyes that witnesses report as highly intelligent and calculating. One witness reported feeling as if he was being dissected by the man's stare, not unlike a scientist working on a project. The Reaper never stays in one spot long enough to identify anything beyond his sharp gaze however, always vanishing at a speed not even a Huntsman can match._

_The only other feature that has been identified in all the reports is his weapon. A straight blade with an angled tip, and a black hilt with a sharp angle. Only two have seen it close enough to confirm this much. These individuals are the ones who coined the name Soul Cutter for the weapon, as they felt as if their soul was being crushed when in the presence of the Reaper...in addition to his blade cutting through any Grimm without any resistance. One notable report had the Reaper using a red energy attack that was capable of cutting a Giant Nevermore in twain.  
><em>

_This..."_

Before Blake could finish what she was reading, the door opened. Almost as one, the girls turned to look at the door. Where, speak of the devil, Ichigo Kurosaki was standing.

"Err...did I miss something?"

* * *

><p><strong>Ichigo Kurosaki<strong>

* * *

><p><em>Man, this has not been a fun day...<em>

**"Tell me about it Kingy. I haven't had to think this hard in years."**

_"...was that an insult?"_

**"Possibly."**

_"At least it is over. We should not have to answer any further questions for now." _

_"I hope so. I'm not cut out for all this lying, just saying." _

There wasn't any argument from his weapons on that statement. Ichigo shook his head at the rare occurrence _that_ was, before he felt something prickling at his senses. While there was a permanent undercurrent of energy at Beacon, hell, in Remnant in general...this was different. Ichigo was used to feeling energy at the edge of his senses. Couple that with his horrid skills in that regard in general, and it was a large part of the reason he had trouble finding his future team back at initiation.

This though...this was different. He could feel a much more stable and well...in his face...energy. Like someone was using their energy more than just as a background Aura. That could mean someone was fighting and needed the power, or it meant...that someone had decided to try out what he had used as an excuse without waiting for him.

**"Betcha it was Ruby,"** Zangetsu suggested.

_"For once, I agree with you. Damn it."_

Speeding up, Ichigo moved to the dorm room. Hopefully he got back before his friend did something bad. Considering what could go wrong...that was a distinct possibility too. The last thing he wanted was Ruby- he really doubted it was one of the others -hurting herself because he wasn't there to talk her through things.

Pushing the door open, the teenager blinked slowly. He hadn't expected to see...the dorm covered in books. Blake's library was spread around the floor, with books covering the area. His friends/team were sitting in the middle of the disaster area. Weiss looked bored, Blake looked like a cat caught doing something wrong, Yang grinned at him, and Ruby...

Well, Ruby was glowing red.

"Err...did I miss something?" Ichigo asked, as the first thing that came to mind.

"Hey Ichigo!" Yang replied first, jumping to her feet and grabbing the oranghead's arm, "We were just talking about you!"

"Wait...what?" the shinigami complained, as he was dragged along by the deceptively strong blonde.

"Yeah! We found this book!" Ruby added, pulling a book out of Blake's arms so fast that the other girl could only blink.

"A book?"

Ichigo suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. His old man had said there wasn't anything on shinigami in Remnant. What if he had been wrong? What if this book _did_ render his story invalid?

"Yup," Yang didn't seem to notice how suddenly uncomfortable her friend was, "A reeeallly old book that Weiss found in the library."

"Ancient," the girl in question clarified.

Ruby thrust the book into Ichigo's hands, getting a raised eyebrow out of the teen. The feeling of almost-dread not leaving his body, Ichigo held the book up and looked at the title. And promptly felt the feeling go away. The book was old to be fair...but it wasn't one he recognized. He didn't even recognize the title, for that matter. _Legend of the Reaper_? Last he had checked, he was a shinigami not a Reaper. Same went for the old man. In point of fact, he couldn't even recall a Reaper ever being mentioned back home, which made this odd.

Because clearly the book had to be related to him in some way, or they wouldn't have acted like this.

"Should I know something?" Ichigo asked, more for his own benefit than theirs.

Blake took the book back and opened it. She began reading the passage she had read earlier, getting nothing but a raised eyebrow out of Ichigo.

"So...strange coincidence?"

"Doubtful," the dark-haired girl replied.

"Yeah," Yang nodded after pushing her way into view, "I mean, what're the odds?"

An eyebrow went up in response, "I've never seen this book or heard of this guy before. I mean, yeah, Zanpakutō means Soul Cutter...but that's just what the name is. I don't know where it got it, but I doubt it was from this."

Thing was, Ichigo wasn't even lying there. Zanpakutō was an ancient name, a lot more ancient than a century. Hell, his old man was older than that!

"Are you sure about that?" Weiss spoke up.

"Pretty sure, yeah."

"Then why would they use the exact same name?"

"I don't know...a coincidence like I _just_ said?"

The heiress shook her head as she got to her feet, "No need to be sarcastic about it. Look, I would be the first to dismiss this book...but the way that blade is described is a lot like yours."

Yang nodded, "Yeah, it really is. Especially that attack! I distinctly remember _someone_ using something that sounded exactly the same but blue."

**"...she does have a point y'know. Whoever this guy was, that sounds a lot like a Getsuga."**

Zangetsu actually sounded subdued for once. Which considering the subject matter...was perfectly reasonable. While Ichigo wasn't lying at all when he said he had no idea what this book was talking about, it was problematic. Aura didn't function in a way that allowed for Getsuga-style attacks. It just didn't work that way. It would take someone with _Reiryoku_ to pull that off...and while everyone in Remnant had an above-average amount to correspond with their Aura...it would take an unusual individual to use a _reiatsu_ based attack.

Which was what this description clearly was.

"You do have to admit that it is strange how similar this description is to your attack," Blake spoke what Ichigo was thinking.

In response, all the teen could do was run a hand through his hair, "Yeah, I noticed. Look, I really don't know what this book is talking about. Maybe my old man does, but I don't. I've never heard of a Reaper, and I thought the Getsuga Tensho was unique to my father and I...I didn't think anyone else could use it. I could ask the old man if he knows anything."

_"That would be prudent, even if you have no intention of telling your friends the truth,"_ the Quincy portion of Zangetsu added, _"I find myself curious if your father knows who the subject of this book truly is."_

_"You aren't the only one..."_

**"Damn straight!" **

"You do that," Yang poked his chest, "Because I want to know too."

"Jeez, you're like a cat Yang," Ichigo shook his head in amusement.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You are easily the single most curious person I've ever met."

The blonde attempted to look affronted, before just grinning and slapping Ichigo's shoulder, "Quiet you."

Ichigo just rubbed his arm absently, before turning to Ruby, "Anyway, right now I think we have a bigger issue. Like getting Ruby to stop glowing."

"Good point..."

The redhead blinked at the attention, before remembering her predicament. Ichigo just smiled slightly...he had an idea of what was wrong. It had been an issue he himself had actually, back when he was first learning how to control his powers. Granted, when _he_ had the issue it had been rather more...explosive. At least Ruby had a better grasp on her Aura than he had had on his shinigami, Hollow and Quincy powers...granted, that wasn't really hard to do...

After all, Ichigo hadn't exactly had a fun time of managing such differing powers at once.

"What did I do wrong?" Ruby finally asked, looking at her hands.

"You're using it without thinking about it," Ichigo started, his own body taking on the familiar- to him anyway -blue glow, "if you use your Aura that way it'll stay active. That's why I have to seal Zangetsu...if I don't, I'd be walking around like this all the time."

"But how do I stop it then?" the girl cocked her head, looking almost like a curious puppy, "I don't have a sword like you do."

_"Zangetsu?"_

A hum answered that question, as the Quincy spirit frowned, deep in thought.

_"I believe the issue at hand is Crescent Rose not being a __Zanpakutō. Without that, attempting to meld her power with it is drawing her Aura out. It is attempting to meld with the weapon, but the weapon cannot meld properly. All Ruby is doing right now is extending her Aura. Unless she makes a conscious effort to stop...it will continue until she tires herself." _

"You need to stop extending your Aura," Ichigo relayed to his friend and leader.

"I tried that already..."

Putting a smile on his face that he normally reserved for his sisters, Ichigo placed a hand on Ruby's shoulder. With the addition of physical contact, he could more easily feel what was going on with her. While Ichigo would still be the first to admit his sensory abilities were...bad...at best, his _Quincy_ abilities did give him something of an advantage.

"Ichigo? What the hell are you doing?" Yang asked, when she saw the blue and red lights intermingling.

"Working," he replied tensely.

It was far from easy for him to do this. All the teen had to go off was his memories of his father doing the same for him, and aid from Zangetsu...the helpful one.

**"Asshole."**

Ignoring his blade, Ichigo looked at Ruby who was looking at _him_ with wide silver eyes...just the barest hint of red around the edges, "Can you feel my Aura?"

"Yeah!" Ruby replied, her voice awed, "I've never felt something like this before!"

"You get used to it," the older teen replied, "now, look at it. Can you feel how it's tied to Zangetsu?"

With his blade pushing their own energy out to accentuate the connection, it wasn't hard for Ruby to do so. She nodded rapidly, the feeling unlike anything she had felt before.

"Yeah, I can feel it!"

Nodding slightly, Ichigo pointed at Crescent Rose, "Now, feel your connection to Crescent Rose."

Ruby nodded, closing her eyes. Ichigo could feel her focusing on the tenuous connection to her weapon. With the direct contact between his spiritual powers and her Aura, it would have been harder to not feel it.

"Got it?"

"Sorta."

Ichigo nodded again, "Good, now look at how I connect to Zangetsu...and try to mimic that."

"Okay!"

The mixing of his spirit energy with her Aura grew brighter, something that started to steadily weird out the other girls. Ichigo could see Yang out of the corner of his eyes, clearly holding herself back from running forward. If the little hints he had seen up to now were any indication, she was every bit as protective of Ruby as he was of his sisters. It was probably not fun for her to just watch something like this. She was probably going to punch him when everything was said and done actually...

Weiss and Blake, by contrast, just had almost amusingly similar looks of curiosity on their faces. Understandable, considering what he was currently doing with Ruby and all. Turning his eyes away from his team, he focused back on Ruby. Now the tough part was coming...getting her connection with Crescent Rose established. The weapon wasn't a Zanpakutō by any means, so he had no true idea what to expect. This was going to be interesting...

"Ichigo?" Ruby's voice also served to distract him, "I feel funny..."

"Oh shi..."

**"King!"**

Ichigo could feel the surge of power before it was released, but couldn't do anything about it. A brilliant flash of red light sent him flying head-over-heels into the wall, narrowly missing Yang who ran right past him towards her sister. Groaning softly, the shinigami pulled himself up and shook his head to clear the stars.

_"That could have gone better."_

_"You're telling _me_ that? Damn...that was just like what happened when I unlocked Shikai! Wait...tell me she didn't..."_

_"She did not."_

Breathing a soft sigh of relief that he hadn't inadvertently turned his leader into a shinigami, Ichigo walked over to the sisters. Yang was fussing over her sister almost like a mother, while Ruby just looked tired. And surprised, as her body had stopped glowing.

"What did I do?" the hooded girl asked tiredly.

"Finish what you started," Ichigo replied, pausing before continuing with, "I think."

"You _think_?" Yang asked.

Holding his hands up, the teen shrugged, "Like I said, I used an actual Zanpakutō remember?"

"I felt like something snapped into place," Ruby added, "Remember how I said it was like a rubber band Yang?"

**"That's one way of describing it,"** Zangetsu shrugged.

Blake chose that moment to break in, "Crescent Rose is still glowing."

As one, the team turned to look at the sniper-scythe. Which was, indeed, still glowing a faint red. That didn't worry Ichigo though...unlike the rest of the team, he could sense what was happening. Ruby's Aura had fully melded with the weapon, and that process was just finishing up. In fact, as he watched...the glow faded away completely. He couldn't say how things would go in actually _using_ this new connection though. Or even what form the connection would take.

It wasn't like Ichigo was an _expert_ on the subject or anything like that, after all.

"It stopped," Weiss frowned, looking down on the weapon, "what does that mean?"

Again as one, the girls turned to look at their token male teammate. Ichigo just held his hands up, no more idea than them. But they probably expected an answer from him nonetheless.

"I _think_," putting emphasis on that word, Ichigo motioned Ruby to pick her weapon up, "that it means this worked. Her Aura is tied to Crescent Rose now, as much as it can be without a proper Zanpakutō. Haven't got the slightest idea what that means though."

"You don't?" Ruby asked, not feeling anything different about her weapon.

Ichigo shrugged, "Not a clue. I'd assume it'll be easier for you to use your Aura to beef up attacks if I had to guess. Like making your bullets stronger? Maybe?"

Yang laughed, "You don't have any idea either, do you?"

"Nope."

"We should study this," Blake suggested, a curious tone to her voice now.

"Well duh," Ruby grinned, her energy quickly returning, "I want to see how this works!"

Not wanting to dampen his leader's enthusiasm but well aware how _bad_ an idea that was, Ichigo shook his head, "Nah, we need to let Ruby rest. If this is like what happened with me...trust me, you'll need it."

"I'm totally fine!" the girl protested, but still swayed as she got to her feet.

"You were saying?"

Grinning sheepishly, Ruby fell into her sister's side. Yang just smiled softly, and ruffled her sister's short hair. As if to prove Ichigo's point, Ruby didn't even swat at the hand as Yang lead her to her bed. As the sisters did their thing, Ichigo felt Blake and Weiss staring at him. Turning to the other members of his team, he already knew what they wanted. It wouldn't take a genius to know really...after stabilizing Ruby and giving her some yet-to-be-discovered advantage with Crescent Rose, of _course_ her teammates would want help too.

It was kinda obvious, really.

"You're helping us now," Weiss said first.

"Yeah," Blake agreed.

Ichigo just sighed, "Of course I am..."

* * *

><p><strong>Ruby Rose<strong>

* * *

><p><em>Yang and Ichigo...should I be worried?<em>

Ruby, well-recovered from her perhaps ill-advised experiment, sat around the training room with Weiss and Blake. And the rest of their class, in fact...as it had been over a week since her misadventure with her Aura. Probably one of the most fun weeks in her life, if you asked the young teenager. Being able to find new ways to use Crescent Rose was always awesome. The stuff she had learned in this week though? It was so awesome she couldn't even put it into words! Learning the stuff Ichigo taught was so much more fun than sitting through a lecture. Even if the older teen considered himself a horrible teacher, Ruby wasn't inclined to agree. The things she had learned about manipulating her Aura...she hadn't learned so much since her Uncle had taught her!

It had done a lot of good in getting her team to work together too. Even Weiss had enjoyed the training, which still surprised the leader. It had been nice...but now...now it would be time to put that to the test. Part of her wondered if that was why Professor Goodwitch had chosen Ichigo and Yang for this training match.

"Go Yang!" Ruby shouted down at her sister.

The blonde gave her a thumbs up, while Ichigo sent her a sour look. It was _hard_ to root for someone when both of them were people she liked...

"Are both combatants ready?" Goodwitch broke in, looking between the two teens.

"Ready!" Yang grinned, extending Ember Celica to accentuate the point.

"Yeah," Ichigo replied, scowl welded onto his face as he drew the regular Zangetsu. Ruby had learned over the week that Ichigo only rarely used his Shikai...she didn't expect to see it in this match, which almost made her pout considering how awesome that weapon was.

Goodwitch nodded at the students, as Ruby leaned forward in her seat.

"Begin!"

Ichigo was the first to move, his blade angled down on Yang's shoulder. Her sister grinned at the attack, bringing Ember Celica up to take the hit. Sparks flew as grey blade slid across golden gauntlet, before Yang brought her other fist up. The sharp report of a shotgun shell forced Ichigo to jump back, as said shell flew into the nearby wall.

"That all you got Ichigo?" the blonde smirked.

A raised eyebrow answered her, "What do _you_ think?"

And with that statement, the two fighters launched at the other again. Ruby watched with jealous eyes, almost wishing it was her down there. Didn't matter if she was fighting her sister or her friend...it would have been so much fun. She had to sit this out though...not that it made her happy.

_I want to fight too!_

Not noticing the red-clad girl's pout, Ichigo brought Zangetsu around in a quick slice. Yang couldn't quite dodge the speed of Ichigo's blade, the absurdly sharp weapon forcing her back. Her Aura took the blow, but it still was hardly a fun thing to get hit by. And Ruby could see it did more damage than such an outwardly simple weapon should...Yang's Aura bar flickered for a second.

Of course, the blonde didn't frown. She just grinned even wider, thoroughly enjoying this spar. A fireball shot from her left gauntlet, scorching Ichigo's robe. The orangehead just scowled at the burn mark, before flashing into the movement that made even Ruby jealous. Of course, that jealousy came from experience watching it...experience that her sister had just as much of.

_Go Yang!_

Ruby cheered in her head, as her sister ducked under the swing Ichigo sent her way. Her foot shot out in a kick as she rolled to the side, a typical Yang move. Ichigo caught the kick by taking a hand off Zangetsu, using the momentum from the deceptively powerful blow to jump back.

"Nice one Ichigo!"

"I could say the same to you."

It was almost amusing how talkative the two were while fighting. Any other pair of students sparring would probably be quiet aside from the usual grunts. The young leader of RWBIY didn't know why they talked so much, but the running commentary was amusing at least. Of course, both went quiet quickly enough. Ichigo held Zangetsu at his side, as he ran forward. Yang, never one to back down from a fight, did the exact same. Pulling her fist back, she aimed to punch her opponent clean in the face.

Ichigo ducked underneath the blow, raising Zangetsu's blade at the same time. The long blade cleanly missed Yang's arm...but hit something far more valuable.

"Oh...oh no..." Ruby winced, turning her head away from the fight.

Weiss noticed this, and brought her eyebrow up as both Ruby _and_ Blake turned away.

"Why are you two doing that? She just lost some hair."

The leader quickly shook her head, "You don't understand Weiss! If you cut Yang's hair..."

"YOU JERK!"

"...that happens..." Ruby flinched slightly.

Down in the arena, Yang's eyes flashed red as she leaped straight from 'friendly spar' into 'how dare you touch my hair!' mode. Her Semblance, normally only activating after she was beat up, went right to full power. Ruby knew that well...she could remember one time Uncle Qrow had made the mistake of cutting Yang's hair in a spar. It hadn't been pretty...

"Wait!" Ichigo backed up, not knowing what he had done.

"Get back here!" Yang shouted, her red eyes and fiery hair giving her a terrifying appearance to anyone not named Ruby Rose.

Running forward at a speed far faster than normal, Yang's fists were a fire-coated blur as she laid into Ichigo. Her training in using her Aura had paid off big time, as those fiery fists punched into the other teens chest...the flames Yang's unique ability. The orangehead tried to back away, but when one got Yang into angry mode, it was futile to attempt to dodge or get away. She was like a burning orange blur, as her fists pounded into Ichigo. He could do nothing but take the hits, trying to bring Zangetsu around to get Yang off him. Unfortunately for Ichigo, Yang had built up enough energy for one final punch...that sent him head-over-heels into the wall.

Yang, for her part, panted as her anger faded away. And she realized what she had done fairly quickly as well. Eyes returning to cool lilac, she blinked rapidly.

"Oh god...Ichigo!"

The teen in question raised a hand shakily, "I'm fine...I think."

In point of fact, Ichigo had so much energy that even after that pounding he was still in the lower-green range on his Aura. Ruby couldn't believe her eyes on that...but the matches could be ended by other things than Aura limitations.

"Time," Goodwitch called, "Excellent spar you two. However, Miss Xiao Long? Please work on your temper. Help Mr. Kurosaki back to the stands."

The blonde scratched her head, "Heh...right. Come on Ichigo, stop laying around."

"You did this to me," the orangehead complained.

Ruby couldn't help but grin at the banter. Anyone else and they would be out-cold. Ichigo just cracked dry jokes like usual. Her attention was soon diverted back to the Professor however.

"Our final match for the day will be...Jaune Arc and Cardin Winchester."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: There we go. This chapter was fun to write...I'll admit, I've wanted to do the IchigoYang spar for some time...because it was too amusing to pass up. I should note that each member of team RWBY has some unique ability tied to the training Ichigo put them through. In Yang's case, it's increasing the fire effect of her Semblance to tie into her weapon.  
><strong>

**Each of them will have something similarly tied to their Aura/Semblance. Kinda like a Fullbring or Zanpakutō but _not_ one of those. They aren't going to suddenly become super-strong compared to their Canon selves. Consider it a boost of sorts, one that makes them more effective fighters, but doesn't completely upset the existing power levels.  
><strong>

**On that note, hopefully that bit with Ruby worked. **

**And on one final note...remember, I use the _Japanese_ terms here. Shinigami is translated more properly as Death God/ God of Death. Not Soul Reaper...which this version of Ichigo has never heard used. Hence the confusion in relation to the book.**

**On to the reviews!**

**PersonaQeminod1, Telron, silentstrixe, yiggdrasill, Gravenimage, Taeniaea, Ranmaleopard, duskrider, desdelor97, Theburper, EntityXL, Guest, JJN37, The son of none, Matt, shugokage, hollowichigo12:** Thanks for the reviews!

**The10thDoctor1964:** Personally, I'm hoping Ichigo'll break out the new Bankai sooner than that. All of the team are going to be a bit stronger than canon, but nothing too extreme.

To me, Weiss is the type who'll take anything serious if she thinks it needs to be. In this case, she does.

**Natzo:** I figure Isshin would have wanted Karin and Yuzu to stay out of fighting as long as possible. Best way to do _that_ is keep them from the swords that can develop their abilities- though Yuzu doesn't have much to begin with.

**P-and-P:** Ichigo can use some Quincy abilities, but he can't do a bow- he lacks a pendant.

Hollow abilities are limited.

**Exanime Draco: **Admittedly I've been dropping hints so I expect someone'll pick up on the plot. I will say that my goal is to keep Ichigo's past to said hints...I'm trying to avoid giving everything away too soon. Like the fact the book gives more questions than answers- for both sides.

**xbox432:** Well Ichigo and family had to get there somehow didn't they?

**Drake93:** Don't worry, I'm being very careful to not overpower anything. As for the timeline...if you mean the Bleach side of things, consider it canon up to when Ichigo came to Remnant. Which I've been dropping hints on...

As for ages, he's 17 right now.

**Assault Godzilla:** Yeah, Ichigo just has bad luck follow him like a plague doesn't he? The rest of the team did succeed off-screen...Blake, Ruby and Weiss will have their abilities revealed later on, while Yang got her moment here.

**Fifth Horseman:** Oh definetly...Isshin needs to know about Ozpin, but also answer questions. 'Course, if Ichigo has to answer _his_ questions the strawberry is in for fun times...

**AN: There we go. Next chapter we jump back to RWBY canon...and what I'm sure people have been waiting for.**

**Ichigo, meet Cardin.**

**Review if you liked the chapter, and I'll see you all next time!**


	9. Dealing with Bullies

**AN: Regularly scheduled chapter ahoy. This one was fun to do, since it was the first time we've jumped from team RWB(I)Y in perspective.  
><strong>

**The Cardin part turned out about as well as I think I could have done it though. That was surprisingly difficult.**

* * *

><p><strong>Ichigo Kurosaki<br>**

* * *

><p><strong>"Yang hits like a fuckin truck."<strong>

_"Indeed."_

_"I don't think I've ever taken that hard a hit. I wonder if I can get her to knock some sense into the old man..."  
><em>

**"Nah, even _that_ won't be enough Kingy."  
><strong>

Ichigo inwardly sighed, but didn't dispute the point. Isshin Kurosaki was the very definition of 'thick-headed' for a reason. Pushing that aside for the moment- he didn't really _want_ his father near his teammates anyway -Ichigo sat down next to Ruby. He couldn't quite cover a small wince though, that got a worried look from the younger girl. His Hollow-derived enhanced healing was nice, but it wasn't enough to totally dull the pain. Especially not when he was getting physical _and_ flame damage from Yang's punches. Sometimes he wished his spiritual powers worked the same as Aura...

Oh well, it was hardly the first time he'd been sore after a sparring bout. Ichigo just hadn't expected Yang to go ballistic on him just for a few cut hairs. Made him wonder why she was so overprotective of her hair...he'd only do the same if someone threatened his sisters. Then again, he wasn't a woman. Maybe that was why he didn't understand...

"You okay Ichigo?" speak of the devil, and she shall sit down next to you. Yang had a slightly guilty look on her face too.

"Eh, I'm fine," the orangehead replied, waving a hand.

"You don't _look_ fine," Ruby broke in, her worried look transferring to her voice.

Considering he likely looked tired as his energy was being put to work healing bruised ribs- and possibly a cracked one -Ichigo didn't doubt that he looked like crap.

"Guys, I'm fine."

Didn't mean he wasn't stubborn enough to deny it, of course.

Yang still looked unconvinced, "Sure you are...sorry about that by the way. Uncle Qrow told me to control that better, but you touch the hair..."

"You get the horns?" Ichigo dryly replied, blinking when Yang and Ruby sent him confused looks. For their parts, Blake and Weiss were too busy watching as Jaune and Cardin moved to start their match.

"Yang doesn't have horns silly!" Ruby giggled, looking at her sister with a curious look, "Do you?"

"Of course not," the blonde sent her sister an incredulous look before turning back to the other teen, "why did you say that Ichigo?"

"Err...

**"Ya need to be more careful what you say Kingy."**

Ichigo could hardly deny _that_ point either. He tended to forget that things he said may not have an equivalent in Remnant. Come to think of it...he hadn't ever even _seen_ a bull in Remnant before. In which case, it wouldn't surprise him if Ruby and Yang had never heard that particular saying before. They might just have never had the opportunity...or it may just not exist in Remnant. Which could be a problem.

He already had Yang watching his every move, damn curious woman that she was. The last thing he needed was _more_ reason for the girls to watch him. He still hadn't quite convinced them that he really _didn't_ know what that old book was talking about. It was enough to drive someone mad. If he wasn't already mad anyway...Zangetsu wasn't exactly the sign of a healthy mind.

**"I resemble that remark."**

"Seriously," Yang broke in again, "I've never heard someone say that before."

"It's an old saying," Ichigo said, improvising on the spot, "Y'know, if you mess with a horned Grimm you'll get gored?"

"Uh huh..." clearly, the blonde didn't believe him.

Ruby looked between the two, a curious look on her face, "I think I get it! You have to admit Yang, if you cut your hair you do get angry."

"Of course!" Yang nodded, "You don't touch the hair."

The resident shinigami snorted, "And I would have appreciated being told this _before_ I fought you with a _sword_."

Ichigo could make that joke, because he was happy enough to get onto a different subject. It was substantially better than talking about awkward things he couldn't easily explain anyway...

"Eh, didn't seem important at the time," the elder sister shrugged.

"I thought she had told you already..." Ruby added.

"She didn't."

Yang mock glared at Ichigo, before snickering as she slapped his arm. Holding his arm, Ichigo just scowled back at her. It was all in good fun though. If the blonde had _actually_ been annoyed with him, the orangehead expected a lot more than a slap on the arm. By the same token, he was hardly angry at her for forgetting to mention her hair-triggered- literally -temper. It would have been nice to know in advance, but he could take a lot more of a beating than he let on so no harm done.

Even if it still hadn't been particularly _fun_, of course.

"The match is starting," Blake broke into the conversation.

Turning his head, Ichigo saw that the dark-haired girl was correct. Jaune had his sword out and his shield extended, as he stood across from Cardin Winchester. The latter teen had a massive mace with a red gem in the center of its...bladed...macehead. That thing looked more dangerous than Jaune's antique by far. Ichigo knew better than to judge a book by its cover...but then again...

"This isn't going to end well," he predicted.

"Why?" Weiss asked, finally looking over.

"Jaune is not a fighter," he repeated what he had said to Ruby and Yang at varying times.

Weiss just frowned, "Clearly he is if he got into Beacon. He's a dolt, but he has to have _some_ skill."

"I don't know. You've seen me train...does _that_ look like a combat stance to you?"

The rest of the team turned to look back at the match, where Jaune looked decidedly...nervous. His grip on his sword was weak, and his feet were placed entirely wrong. Contrast that with Cardin who just looked bored, but even _then_ showed actual experience. Granted the latter's armor was just pointless dead-weight in a world of Aura.

"...I see your point," the heiress' frown deepened.

Ichigo didn't have any time to reply to that. For before he could, Professor Goodwitch walked into view again. The older woman looked at the two fighters on the stage, a fairly disapproving look at Jaune's stance.

"Begin."

With that single word, the match started. Cardin dropped his mace off his shoulder, a cocky grin on his face as he almost taunted Jaune to come forward. The blonde grimaced, but didn't falter. Or...at least he didn't falter in determination. Squaring his shoulders, Jaune let out a shout as he charged at the much bigger teen. The blonde brought his sword down, aiming directly at Cardin's shoulder. In the audience, Ichigo winced...as Jaune's sword hit nothing. Cardin was huge and wearing pointless armor, but that didn't mean he was _slow_.

Spinning his mace lazily, Cardin hit Jaune's shield with a resounding gong. The blonde's blue eyes went wide, as he went flying into the ground. It was a testament to his great-grandfather's skill that the shield didn't even show a dent after that devastating blow...but it didn't change the fact that getting hit like that _hurt_. He stumbled upon getting up, wincing slightly.

_"Damn...that didn't look fun."_

**"Well we knew he wasn't a fighter...by the way, remind me to kick your ass if you ever get that rusty."**

Electing to ignore that statement, Ichigo focused on Jaune. The other teen had just executed a surprisingly good roll away from Cardin, who's mace had impacted the floor where he had been standing. His own sword came down on Cardin once more...only for the armored teen to catch it on his own weapon. With a grunt, Cardin threw Jaune away from him, cocky grin never once leaving his face. It was almost painful for Ichigo to watch...such a mismatched fight. It reminded him of when he first started training with the old man.

Painful to watch or not, he had to give Jaune credit for raw determination at least. The blonde just picked himself right up off the floor, despite his Aura meter dipping into the yellow. Even if he wasn't a good fighter, he sure knew how to channel his stubbornness.

**"Pot, meet kettle."**

_"Oi."_

_"He does have a point."_

Damn mutinous spirit...

"Jaune doesn't look that hot," Yang broke in.

Blake's frown showed she felt the same way, "Yeah..."

For her part, Ruby looked torn between worry and trying to cheer Jaune on. Considering he was the second- and only one outside her team -friend she had at Beacon that was easy to understand.

"Come on Jaune!" eventually she settled for cheering.

It seemed like the blonde appreciated it too. He smiled up at Ruby, before squaring his shoulders again. It was clear enough that he was hurting from the panting he was doing, but the teen wasn't going to give up either. Jaune pushed himself up from his kneeling position, and jumped at Cardin one last time. A fierce shout came from his lips, as his sword swung down on the armored man...

Only for Cardin to smirk, as he neatly sidestepped Jaune's swing and knocked his shield from his hands.

_Ouch..._

Jaune stumbled back to his feet, but _still_ refused to give up. Holding his sword with both hands now, he charged at Cardin once more. This time the larger teen didn't even bother dodging. He brought his mace up, catching the sword easily. Jaune pushed down with all his strength, but Cardin was _that_ much stronger...as he pushed right back.

"This is the part where you _lose_," Cardin finally spoke.

"Over my dead bod..."

Before Jaune could finish that statement, Cardin kicked him right in the...family jewels. Even Ichigo winced at that one. Correction...even _Zangetsu_ winced at that.

**"Low blow man. Even I wouldn't do that!"**

Considering the Hollow was all for winning at all costs, that said something about Cardin's tactics. As low a blow- literally -as that had been though, it wasn't what had Ichigo jumping up from his seat, his hands ready to make some sort of attempt at Bakudo. Which, it was worth noting, he was horrible at...unless it was the higher level ones he didn't want people seeing.

No, what had him jumping up in his seat was Cardin holding his _bladed mace_ above Jaune, who was curled up on the floor without any defense beyond his sword. With his Aura in the red, a blow from that mace could do some _serious_ damage right now. Was Cardin stupid enough that he would bring it down anyway? What if he killed Jaune!

_That bastard better not..._

Luckily for everyone involved, the lights snapped back on as Goodwitch walked into view again, "Cardin, that's enough."

"Tch," the armored teen backed up, looking thoroughly disappointed he couldn't hit Jaune again.

Goodwitch sent a disapproving look at the teen, before turning to the other students, "As you can see, Mr. Arc's Aura is in the red. In a tournament style duel, that would indicate that Jaune is no longer fit for battle, and an official can call the match."

As she said that, the woman turned to look at Jaune, who looked distinctly put out.

"Mr. Arc, it's been weeks now. Please pay attention to your scroll during battle, it is helpful to gauge when to attack...and when to move to a more defensive strategy. We wouldn't want you to be gobbled up by a Beowolf now would we?"

Cardin snorted, "Speak for yourself."

Even Ichigo couldn't hold back his temper when someone said something like that. His amber eyes narrowed at the unrepentant leader of CRDL, as he walked off the stage. The shinigami noticed that Yang at least saw his eyes narrow, as she looked between him and the other teen. Then again, Yang had always seemed to be the most observant of his teammates, at least when it came to him. He had always wondered why that was the case too...

But that wasn't the issue at hand here. That was what to do about that jerk that just beat up on Jaune Arc.

"What an asshole," Ichigo ground out.

"No argument here," Yang agreed, cracking her knuckles.

Ruby just looked at her downed friend, "Poor Jaune..."

Before any more on that subject could be said, Goodwitch broke in once more. Though this time it appeared to be the last thing she had to say. If only because of the subject matter...

"Remember everyone, the Vytal Festival is only a few months away. Students from the other Kingdoms will start arriving any day now," the Professor said, prompting everyone in team RWBIY but Ichigo and Blake to start acting all excited, "so keep practicing. Those who compete in the combat tournament will be representing all of Vale."

As the bell rang, Ichigo sighed slightly. The festival wasn't as exciting for him as his team...he didn't want the attention that would come from it. He'd have no issues qualifying, and that wasn't his ego talking. But he didn't _want_ the attention. And in any case, the tournament was the least of his concerns right now. For now...that was the teen struggling to his feet, and walking over to the rest of his team.

Something needed to be done about Jaune Arc. Ichigo wasn't sure if it should be him...but someone needed to get him up to par. He wasn't going to last much longer at Beacon, leave alone in actual combat, if someone didn't train him to fight better...

**"You've got that right Kingy..."**

And for once, all Ichigo could do was inwardly nod at his darker side.

* * *

><p><strong>Yang Xiao Long<br>**

* * *

><p>"There we were...surrounded by Ursai..."<p>

"They were Beowolves."

"Dozens of them!"

"Two of them."

In any other situation, Yang would likely have been listening to Nora Valkyrie with rapt attention. The girl was worse than Ruby on a sugar-high, something that Yang had never thought possible before. And it made her stories always amusing, especially with the way she acted them out. On top of that, Lie Ren was even more deadpan than Ichigo, which made the contrast between the friends amusing on its own. But, while the blonde made an effort to look interested- unlike Weiss who was filing her nails and Blake who was, surprise, reading a book -she wasn't _really_ paying attention. Because right now, she had something rather more important to think about.

Or, more accurately, _someone_ to worry about. Ever since Jaune's fight with Cardin, Ichigo had been...off. Like he was trying to think of something. He didn't share what he was thinking either, which was odd. He wasn't the openest person to begin with, but this was different. It was possible, likely even, that it had something to do with Jaune. Ichigo had been quite clear on how he thought of the blonde's fighting ability- or lack thereof. If he was thinking about that, it would explain a lot of things.

_Still annoying though. I like talkative Ichigo. He's _boring_ when he gets all moody._

"...but in the end, Ren and I killed them all and made a boatload of Lien selling Ursa skin rugs," Nora finished her tale, plopping down in her seat with a satisfied smirk on her face.

For his part, Ren just facepalmed, the motion becoming more and more common to Ichigo's amusement, "She's been having this recurring dream for well over a month now."

"A month?" Yang laughed, though her attention was still only _sorta_ focused on the NR part of JNPR.

"Yes," the other teen sounded more exasperated than anything else.

Shaking her head in clear amusement, Yang grinned, "Sounds like Ruby when she was a kid."

"Hey," the girl in question complained, though _her_ attention was only partly on her sister. In fact, just as Yang kept sending side-glances at Ichigo, Ruby was doing the same with Jaune.

Who, to be fair, was clearly in a bad mood judging from the way he picked at his food. Unsurprisingly, Pyrrha had easily picked up on that. She had always seemed closer to Jaune than anyone else, Ruby included.

"Jaune, is something wrong?" the redhead finally asked.

"Huh," Jaune asked, looking up from his food, "No, I'm fine! Why do you ask?"

Ruby clenched her hands, looking nervously at the table, "Well, it's just that you seem a little...not okay."

"Guys, I'm fine! See, look," as he said that, Jaune held his hand up, the thumb up in the universal 'everything's good' signal. Of course, it was rather ruined by his weak chuckle and fake smile.

Not to mention the fact he turned his head to look behind the two teams. And now that Yang looked herself, Ichigo- who hadn't said a thing -was looking in the same direction. And she could _feel_ anger rolling off him in waves. Which was not normal...Ichigo was fairly chill. Yang should know, considering her _own_ temper issues made her rather familiar with anger.

Following both the boys looks though, she could easily see why Ichigo was annoyed...if not why he was _royally pissed off_. Because the entirety of team CRDL was currently laughing and crowding in a Faunus girl, her race clear from the rather large rabbit ears on her head. The way they were crowding her in was enough to get a low growl out of Yang herself.

"Jaune, Cardin has been picking on you since the first week of school," Pyrrha commented, as the blonde boy clenched his fist.

"Who, Cardin Winchester?" Jaune tried to wave it off again, "Nah, he's just messing around. Y'know, practical jokes and all that."

_Okay...that one sucked._

Even Ruby had no problem seeing through that, and she was notoriously bad at stuff like that. Yang blinked when she saw the fierce look cross her sister's face though. Apparently she _was_ picking things up from Ichigo, if the scowl on her face was any indication.

"He's a bully," the leader of RWBIY said with absolute conviction.

Her friend wasn't giving up easily though, "Oh come on, name one time he's 'bullied' me."

The air-quotes Jaune broke out did nothing to convince, well, anyone of his sincerity. It wasn't like the rest of the teens were blind to things. It was quite easy to remember the times Cardin had picked on the 'vomit boy'. Knocking his books out of his hand. Messing with his extending shield to trap him in a door. And of course, the crown jewel of the bullying that the armored teen got up to. Locking Jaune in one of the rocket propelled lockers. Yang could have sworn Ichigo was going to catch on fire like...well, her...that time.

If nothing else, it seemed like Jaune realized what they were thinking at least.

"I didn't land that far from the school," he weakly attempted.

Pyrrha wasn't fooled, "You know Jaune, if you ever need help you just have to ask."

"I know!" Nora leaped to her feet, a scary grin on her face, "We'll break his legs!"

Everyone stared at the orange-haired girl, who just kept up the grin.

_That was a bit scary._

Shaking her head, Yang smirked at the potential jokes she could make out of this one. She didn't get a chance to break out a pun though, because Jaune got to his feet, signalling the end of the conversation.

"Guys, I'm fine," the blonde said, "Besides, its not like he just picks on me. He's a jerk to _everyone_."

Case in point...

"Ow, that hurts!" the Faunus girl complained, her accent fairly odd. Not that her voice was the issue..._that_ was Cardin tugging on her ear like he thought it was fake.

The armored teen and his teammates were just laughing up a storm, as the girl struggled to pull away, "What do you know, it _is_ real!"

Yang felt her temper flaring up, and glared at the idiots across the cafeteria. But if _her_ reaction was bad, it was nothing on Ichigo's. A snap announced him breaking his fork in two, as the orangehead got to his feet, anger practically flashing out of his eyes. Yang blinked rapidly, as her friend stomped around the table. Ichigo didn't seem to notice the attention he was getting though, as he stopped by Cardin. The other teen looked up, never once letting go of the Faunus girl's ear.

"What do _you_ want orange boy?" Cardin laughed, "Come to join the fun?"

Ichigo didn't say anything, as his hand came down on Cardin's arm.

"Hey, what do you think you're do...ing!"

Without saying anything, Ichigo broke Cardin's grip on the girl, flipped him over the table, and stomped his back into the floor. Everyone in the cafeteria turned to look, as Yang's eyes widened. She knew Ichigo could fight with his hands- the best way for her and him to spar was hand-to-hand -but this...she hadn't seen him do something like that before. Maybe he wasn't bothering to hold back against Cardin?

_Damn Ichigo! Someone's angry!_

"Apologize," Ichigo finally spoke up, his voice low and faintly exuding the power that his team knew he possessed.

Cardin wasn't the brightest bulb in the bunch though, "Why should...I..."

The orangehead just drove his foot deeper into Cardin's back, "Because you're the one on the floor you idiot. Now apologize."

Shocked at what had happened or not, the rest of team CRDL recovered quickly enough. They rushed at Ichigo, fists raised to get him off their leader. Yang winced in sympathy...for them. This wasn't going to end well for the bullies...

And as Ichigo ducked under one swing and brought his fist up into the jaw of Dove, the point was brought home. The other teen went flying into the air, coming down on a table, sending a group of students scattering. Russel and Lark were a bit more cautious at least, circling Ichigo instead. As the students who weren't scattering started cheering 'fight', Russel moved forward. His fist came towards Ichigo's face, prompting nothing but a deeper scowl from the orangehead. Who ducked to the side, jumping into the air as Lark attempted to hit him from behind.

Spinning in midair, Ichigo's foot came down on Russel's face, sending him crashing into the ground...cleanly knocked out. Lark looked at his team, and made the wise decision to try running away. _Try_ being the key word there. Ichigo kicked Russel into him, sending both to the ground.

"Whoa..." Ruby muttered softly.

Because the impressive thing? Other than his jump, Ichigo had never once stopped standing on Cardin. Yang was almost jealous...if not for the fact that Ichigo didn't really have a set style to his fighting. Which gave her a bit of an ego boost...always nice to see _one_ thing she had over the other teen, even if her own style was rather hodgepodge.

"Now, where were we?" Ichigo asked the teen at his feet.

Cardin growled, but knew when he was overmatched, "Fine, I'm _sorry_."

Ichigo clearly didn't believe him, but just sighed and kicked him again for good measure, "Whatever."

And with that, the orangehead left the cafeteria behind.

"What just happened?" Jaune spoke for everyone.

"I'm not sure..." Blake replied, though she sent an approving look at Ichigo's back.

"I'll find out!" Yang jumped to her feet.

Ruby blinked, "Wait...what?"

"Hey, I'm the best at getting something outta him!"

Yang didn't stay behind to see the reaction to that- mostly sniggering from Nora -as she ran after her friend. It didn't take long to find him, leaning against a wall and breathing a bit more heavily than normal. It wasn't from exhaustion either...if Ichigo hadn't been panting after their spar, he wouldn't be after that. The way he was acting was far more like he was trying to get his temper under control. The way he was holding a hand over his eyes was decidedly odd though...

That being said, after what he just did, he probably _needed_ to rein his temper in. Yang had the same issue when she got really worked up over something. Controlling a temper after letting it lose took some doing, especially if it was something that really got it going. In her case, that was hurting Ruby or touching her hair in the wrong way. In Ichigo's case...well, that was the question wasn't it? What had set him off? The bullying...seemed like the logical option.

"Hey, Ichigo!" the blonde shouted.

A sigh answered her, as Ichigo got his breathing under control. He took his hand off his eyes, taking one last breath before turning around. Yang could have sworn she saw a flash of black in his eye...but when he fully turned towards her, it was just the typical amber.

"Yang?"

"Yup!" she replied easily, "What was that back there? I've never seen you blow your top like that."

"I can't stand bullies," Ichigo replied, his fist still clenched slightly, "Never have been able to. Picking on someone weaker than you...I hate it."

Well, that answered that question, "I can tell. How come it took this long for you to blow up?"

This time it was a snort that answered her, "You know how much I hate attention. Bashing those idiot's heads together isn't exactly doing me any favors."

"Good point..."

Sitting down next to the wall, Ichigo sighed again. Yang sat next to him, the place they were in out of immediate sight at least. She could recognize a nervous tick from Ichigo too, when he ran his hand through his hair. It was either that or scratching the back of his neck...when he did either, it was because something was on his mind.

"If you have power or skill," he began, out of the blue, "you should use that to protect others. Especially with the Grimm just outside the Kingdoms...we are here to learn how to protect others. That's all I've ever wanted to do..."

"Ichigo..."

"So why, then, are people using their power to hurt others?" a shake of the head accompanied the statement, "God, I sound all moody. Sorry about that."

Yang just patted him on the shoulder, "Nah, it's no big deal. I kinda agree anyway. Hopefully the Profs will do something now that you beat them up."

"Yeah, one can hope."

"Come on, let's get to class," Yang pulled herself to her feet, sticking a hand out to Ichigo, "Wouldn't want to be late."

"Yeah yeah, I'm coming."

Taking her hand, Ichigo pulled himself to his feet. Sending her a grateful look- that she answered with her typical grin -the two teens moved to meet up with the rest of their team. History class was next...and that was _always_ interesting...

* * *

><p><strong>Pyrrha Nikos<strong>

* * *

><p>"Yes, prior to the Faunus Rights Revolution, more popularly known as the Faunus War, humankind was quite, quite adamant about confining the Faunus to Menagerie..."<p>

Even Pyrrha Nikos had issues following this specific professor. Professor Oobleck was fast in more ways than one. He zoomed through his lecture, zipping about the room so fast that it looked almost like what Ichigo Kurosaki did. In point of fact...even that teen seemed to have just given up on following the green-haired professor. Then again, at least Ichigo was awake and taking notes. Pyrrha could see that was more than could be said for Cardin, who just lounged in his chair, sending dirty looks at Ichigo. Considering what he had done earlier, that was hardly surprising. Pyrrha still had to thank the other teen for that...someone had needed to put Cardin in his place, as he bullied anyone weaker than himself.

That being said, the bully was not a worry in this class. What had the redheaded Huntress-in-training worried was Jaune. Her close friend- her _best_ friend -was dozing off in his chair. That really worried Pyrrha, maybe more than it should have. She knew better than anyone how her friend struggled with school. Pyrrha had watched as Jaune fumbled for answers to questions, and it had almost hurt to watch his duel with Cardin. So seeing him sleeping in class...

_Jaune, please focus..._

The girl kept her own focus on the rapidly moving Professor, as he continued on his breathless lecture.

"Now, while this may seem like ancient history to many of you, it is important to realize that these are relatively recent events," Oobleck continued, "why the repercussions of the uprising can still be seen to this day!"

As he said that, the Professor stopped moving in the center of the lecture hall, "Now, have any of you been discriminated against because of your Faunus heritage?"

Only a handful of hands came up at that, including the poor girl Cardin had bullied earlier in the day. Pyrrha couldn't help a flash of indignation going through her body. She hated people like that...who discriminated against someone just because they had an extra body part or two. The Professor seemed to agree, if the slight frown he wore was any indication.

"Yes, yes...simply dreadful," a slight shake of the head accompanied that statement, "remember students, it is this type of thinking that breeds violence. I mean...I mean...just look at the White Fang!"

Zooming around the room, Oobleck shot off into another tangent as quickly as the last, "Now which of you can tell me what is widely believed to be the turning point during the third year of the war?"

That was a question Pyrrha could have answered. Her education had covered many things, and the Faunus War was second only to the Great War in its importance to Remnant's history. However, she didn't like the attention...it would seem odd those around her, but she got enough attention as it was. She didn't _like_ being the center of everyone's eyes. So she didn't raise her hand, as behind her Weiss Schnee's hand shot into the air. The Professor nodded up at the heiress, as Pyrrha looked up at her herself.

If there was anyone in the class who would know, it would probably be her. The Schnee family was every bit as serious in their training as Pyrrha's educators had been.

"The battle at Fort Castle," Weiss answered with absolute certainty.

The Professor sipped his coffee, a smile crossing his face, "Exactly! And, who can tell me the advantage the Faunus had over General Lagoon's forces?"

As he asked that, Pyrrha saw Cardin flick something at Jaune out of the corner of her eye. She winced at the sight...as Jaune snapped awake and gained the Professor's attention. She had been prepared to answer the question herself, but now...

"Ah, Mr. Arc! Finally contributing to class! This is excellent, just excellent! Now tell me, what is the answer?"

Jaune blinked, clearly flustered by the question. Pyrrha could only wince again in sympathy. His sleeping was going to hurt him here.

_No...I can help him!_

Bolstered by that thought, Pyrrha tried to get her friends attention as he stumbled for the answer.

"Um...the answer? The advantage the Faunus had was..." the blonde slowly spoke, as his blue eyes noticed Pyrrha's attempts to gain his attention.

Naturally, she knew the answer was night vision. For all the jokes made at the expense of the Faunus' animal features, that truly was their greatest advantage over human warriors. Being able to see perfectly in the dark was such an edge, that trying to do a night attack played more into their hands than hurt them like a similar move on a human army.

Of course, getting that across to Jaune was not the easiest thing in the world. Pyrrha pointed at her eyes and made circles over them, hoping her friend got the hint. Unfortunately for her...

"Binoculars!" the blonde shouted triumphantly.

As Professor Oobleck sipped his coffee, the sound of hands hitting faces echoed through the room. Much as she liked Jaune, Pyrrha couldn't help but 'facepalm'. The same went for Ichigo, who had long ago perfected the art of doing so. Jaune seemed to realize his mistake, as he slipped lower in his seat. That made his friend feel guilty over her frustration...it wasn't his fault. It was her fault for not making it more clear! Yeah, that was it. She needed to work on her miming then.

"Very funny Mr. Arc," the Professor sounded disappointed, as he turned to the teen above Jaune, "Cardin, perhaps you would like to share your thoughts on the subject?"

"Well, I know it's a lot easier to train an _animal_ than a soldier," Cardin replied.

"You're an idiot, you know that?"

Pyrrha turned around, seeing Ichigo scowling fiercely at Cardin. She had been ready to say something to the bigoted teen herself...calling a Faunus an animal was an all too common insult. One that she could never stand. It would seem that her orange haired classmate was rather quicker than her however.

"Why you..."

Ichigo was unmoved, "Faunus are every bit as human as anyone else. They have an extra appendage or two, but calling them animals? Yeah, I'm sticking with you being an idiot. The answer was night vision, by the way. Right _Sensei_?"

Blinking at the odd term- and noting Weiss sending Ichigo a strange look -Pyrrha turned to the professor, "Indeed. The General was unprepared for the Faunus' ability to see in the dark."

"And he made the mistake of trying to attack the Faunus in their sleep," Blake continued, "his massive army was outmatched, and the General was captured. Perhaps if he had payed more attention in class, he wouldn't have been remembered as a failure."

That not so subtle jab didn't fly over Cardin's head, unlike most anything else. He growled and got to his feet, but a simultaneous glare from Ichigo and cough from Professor Oobleck made him back down.

"Mr. Winchester, please take your seat," the older man sounded quite disappointed in his student, "You and Mr. Arc can both join me after class."

"Aww..." Jaune looked distinctly put out by that, as the Professor continued the lecture.

_-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-_

"You two go on ahead, I'll wait for Jaune."

Pyrrha smiled at her teammates, as she decided to wait outside the classroom. Jaune would do good having a friendly face waiting for him. She could only imagine he wasn't having a fun time in there, with the Professor telling him off and Cardin as his only company. She knew she would love having him waiting for her if the situation was reversed. And she knew Jaune would appreciate the gesture too, since that was just his personality. He was always thankful, even when he didn't need to be.

It was a refreshing change of pace really.

"Ow," speak of her friend...and he shall be pushed to the floor by a smirking Cardin.

Sighing softly, Pyrrha picked Jaune up to his feet, "You know, I really will break his legs. Ichigo would probably hold him down too."

Jaune just sighed in response, looking distinctly downtrodden. It heart Pyrrha, more than her friend could possibly know, to see him like that. One of the things she loved about Jaune was his endless optimism and joking personality. Seeing him depressed...was not something she ever wanted to see. And certainly not something the Huntress-in-training would let continue if she could avoid it!

"I know! Come with me!" Grinning widely, she tugged on the blonde's arm.

"Wait...what?!"

Charging through Beacon's halls, Pyrrha soon came across her destination. The roof, a place she liked going to stargaze on occasion. It was relaxing up there...when it was empty.

"Oh, hey Pyrrha."

"Hi Jaune!"

Blinking slowly, the redhead saw a surprising sight when she opened the door this time however. Team RWBIY was on the roof, in the middle of practicing...something. She wasn't quite sure what, considering all of them were sitting on the ground, though Ruby had jumped to her feet with a wide grin on her face.

"What..."

Ichigo scratched his head sheepishly, "Sorry, did you need the roof?"

"I was going to use it, yes," Pyrrha nodded slowly.

"We'll go then," the orangehead replied, "Come on, we'll finish this tomorrow."

"Aww...I was having fun," Ruby pouted.

Yang grinned at her sister, even as Jaune laughed in the background, "Come on sis, you can take a break for once."

"Lord knows you need it," Weiss added.

Blake remained silent, though she nodded with a small smile at the members of JNPR. Pyrrha smiled back, as the female members of the other team left the roof behind. Ichigo placed a hand on her shoulder as he walked by though, leaning over to whisper in the girl's ear.

"You've got a little birdy eavesdropping on you," Ichigo said, nodding at the edge of the roof, "I'll get him outta there. Wait for my signal before you say anything you don't want him hearing."

Pyrrha blinked again, "Okay?"

Because Ichigo could only be talking about Cardin. No one else would have _reason_ to listen in to what she and Jaune would talk about. But why would he be...and how did Ichigo know he was there? Before she could ask, the orangehead had vanished through the door though. All she could do was look at the door, and then at Jaune who looked just as surprised as she felt. Ichigo was _fast_ when he wanted to be. Not to mention neither of them had the slightest clue what was going on.

Clearly, team RWBIY had been training. But...why? That was something Pyrrha didn't understand.

"What just happened?" Jaune finally asked.

"I...am not sure," Pyrrha replied, before a flash of blue came from the ledge.

Rushing over to look down, the redhead saw Ichigo's head sticking out a window. A window to a dorm...had he just dragged all of CRDL out of their room, just so she could talk to Jaune in peace? He sent her a thumbs up, before vanishing from sight. Evidently that had been the signal then...

"Um, why did you bring me up here?" Jaune asked, as he moved next to her, "I'm depressed, but I'm not _that_ depressed."

_What? Does he mean..._

"No!" pushing her friend away from the ledge, the young woman sent him an incredulous look, "That's not why I brought you up here!"

A raised eyebrow answered that statement, her friend clearly confused as to why he was up here. Pyrrha couldn't blame him really...it was probably odd from his perspective after all. But she had a good reason for bringing him here.

"Jaune...I know you've been struggling in class, and you still aren't the strongest fighter," she said nervously, before grinning at her friend, "So I want to help you!"

"...what?"

Keeping up her smile, Pyrrha looked around, "We can come up here after class, and train! I'm sure team RWBIY won't mind."

Jaune just frowned, "You...think I need help?"

The tone in his voice made Pyrrha's smile falter. He sounded...depressed...at the idea. Why?

"No! No...that's not what I meant."

It really wasn't. She wanted to train _with_ him. She didn't want Jaune to feel self-conscious about it. They were friends, and she thought they could train together and improve both their skills. It was a win-win really. Not to mention it would mean spending time with Jaune alone...and the thought of that really appealed to her, for reasons she wasn't quite sure about. All Pyrrha knew, was that spending time working on their skills up here, under the stars, really sounded good to her. So why was Jaune looking like she had kicked him?

"But it's what you said," the blonde replied, his voice soft.

"Jaune...everyone needs a little push from time to time," Pyrrha tried, "even me. That doesn't make you any different from the rest of us. You made it into Beacon...that alone says volumes about your skills!"

As she said that, Jaune turned away. Pyrrha frowned herself, at the way his shoulders tensed. She had gotten good at reading her friend's moods...and this was odd. He never looked this...vulnerable. Like something was weighing him down. Did Ichigo know something she didn't? It would explain the way Jaune was acting and why he had said to wait to say anything until he got Cardin away from them...

"I don't belong here," he finally said, voice low.

"That's a terrible thing to say! Of course you belong here."

Spinning around, Jaune looked angry for perhaps the first time she had ever seen, "No, I don't!"

Pyrrha took a step back, the hostility in Jaune's voice surprising her. It quickly faded to nervousness, but the fact it was there at all...

"I wasn't really accepted into Beacon..."

Blinking slowly, the redhead replied the only way she knew how, "What do you mean?"

"I mean I didn't go to combat school. I didn't train. I...I..." Jaune struggled to find the words, "I lied. I got my hands on some false transcripts, and I lied."

_Jaune...you can't mean..._

"What? But...why?"

Sighing and running a hand through his scraggly hair, Jaune smiled weakly, "Because this is all I've ever wanted to be! My father, my grandfather, and his father before him...they were all heroes! I always wanted to be one too. But I was...never good enough."

The hurt in Jaune's voice brought pain...unfamiliar pain...to Pyrrha's heart. She never wanted to hear him sound so...broken. She didn't care if he snuck into Beacon. It would have been hard for her _to_ care about something like that. If this was his dream, then she would just have to help him fulfill it. Jaune was far too important to her to let him fail something so important to _him_.

"Then let me help you!" Pyrrha placed a hand on his shoulder, only to flinch back when her friend pulled away.

"I don't _want_ help! I don't want to be the damsel in distress, I want to be the hero!" now there was hurt in his _eyes _and his voice.

"Jaune...I..."

Shaking his head, the other teen looked anywhere but Pyrrha's eyes, "I'm tired of being the loveable idiot stuck in a tree, while his friends fight for their lives! If I can't do this on my own...than what good am I?"

_You're good as you are!_ Pyrrha mentally shouted, _You're my best friend! I don't pity you or think you're any less because you don't know how to fight. I just want to help you improve Jaune. Please...just let me help you._

Reaching a hand out, the redhead flinched again as Jaune pulled away.

"Just...leave me alone, okay?"

Feeling like her heart had just been hit by a hammer, Pyrrha nodded weakly. If Jaune...

"If that's what you want."

Not quite able to keep the pain from her voice, the teenage girl spun around, and left her friend alone on the roof. She didn't know what she could do to change his mind...and it hurt more than she could have ever expected it to.

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><p><strong>AN: And there we go. We also have another little break from canon here...no Cardin blackmail material. Obviously, Forever Fall isn't going to be the same taking this into account. Let's see how that goes.<br>**

**Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter! Onto the reviews:**

**PersonaQeminod1, MEleeSmasher, AnimeA55Kicker, BANKAIZEN, Telron, The Digger92, Ranmaleopard, desdelor97, Matt, .796, Guest, gatesofhellkeeper, Zackmon, JJN37: **Thanks for the reviews!

**Kragh50:** While it was after your review, RT did confirm that V3 is coming. I had some nebulous plans for an original story past V2, but it's nice to know that isn't needed now.

**duskrider:** Right now, I don't have plans for them to develop spirits in the weapons. Aura is _similar_ in function to spiritual power, but not _quite_ the same. So melding the weapons isn't the same as attempting the same with Bleach-powers.

**Natzo:** As above, no plans right now for pseudo-Zanpakuto.

**kroz phantomville:** As this chapter said, Ichigo can kinda-sorta do Kido. Not well though. As for the bow...he doesn't have a pendant, so he can't form one.

**liberty86:** In this case, the different translations helps matters. We can have stuff that even Ichigo doesn't know, but is still Bleach related.

**hollowichigo12:** I hope the Cardin bit didn't disappoint.

**Gravenimage:** Well, Yang's already been shown. But yeah, I had fun with developing those powers.

**yiggdrasill:** Well, as we well know, Kisuke has his fingers in everything.

**Drake93:** Whoops, my bad. RWBY timeline will follow the canon one, as for the subarcs:

Generally speaking, the subarcs will be placed in areas where RWBY-proper had a time skip. This last one, for instance, was placed between the first day and Jaune's Arc. The next will be between the end of V1 and the start of V2.

**Krazyfanfiction1:** His Hollow powers are limited insofar as...well, actually I can't say without spoiling things. Suffice to say, he isn't going to be doing really outlandish things.

He does have the regeneration though.

**The10thDoctor1964:** Yeah, I expect Ichigo to go Bankai fairly soon. Though, granted, the last chapter...whoo boy.

**AN: Thanks for the reviews once again. I hope we can keep that momentum going!**

**Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter, and see you all next time.**


	10. Forever Fall

**AN: Next chapter is here. We get another perspective flip this time (Jaune, obviously in this case) too. Hope everyone likes it!  
><strong>

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><p><strong>Ichigo Kurosaki<br>**

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><p>Some days, Ichigo Kurosaki wondered why he had signed up for this. He had come to Beacon to learn how to be a better Huntsman- and shinigami, but only he and his family knew <em>that<em> part -and as such, had expected to be _learning_. Ichigo expected to be taught by the professors, and find out new things that his father didn't know. For all that his old man knew about shinigami by virtue of being a former Captain, he knew a _lot_ less about Grimm and how to hunt those soulless monsters. Understandably so, considering he spent all his time at the Clinic, keeping an eye on the younger members of the Kurosaki family. That didn't exactly leave a lot of time or room for going out and hunting the pseudo-Hollows. Hence, the reason Ichigo had to go to Beacon to learn how to do it himself, as there was nothing else he wanted to do with his life.

All that being said, he had not signed up for _teaching his team_. It was his own damn fault to be fair, as Zangetsu loved rubbing in his face. Didn't mean he had to be happy about it, of course. All of his team were fast learners- Ruby probably the fastest -and he _did_ like spending time with them. That being said, it still wasn't fun to spend his free time dodging questions from Yang while trying to teach the girls how to use their Aura like his used his reiryoku. Which was something it wasn't meant to do, on top of his dislike of teaching.

**"Stop complaining will ya?"** Zangetsu...complained... **"At least you get to spend time with hot chicks all the time."**

And _that_ was also annoying. His spirit played matchmaker...which was incredibly odd considering his Hollow nature.

**"I'm also your _instincts_ idiot."**

_"Shut up in there."_

**"You shut up! I just want you to get so..."**

_"Both of you need to focus. Yang is once more sending you a curious look."_

_"Damn."_

Turning his head, Ichigo couldn't deny his more level-headed side's point. Yang was indeed flashing him a curious look, one mimicked on Ruby's face. Weiss and Blake, by contrast, were both glowing as they practiced their Aura work. It was _always_ the sisters who noticed when he zoned out first. Ichigo tended to blame that on their natural curiosity more than anything else.

"I miss something?" the orangehead asked, as much to deflect attention as anything else.

Yang snorted, "You need to stop zoning out Ichigo."

"Yeah! You missed Blake do that!" Ruby added, excitedly pointing at a tree down below the cliff the group was practicing on.

A tree cut clean in two, with a small bit of burnt wood at the center of the cut. Blinking slowly, Ichigo looked at the dark-haired girl. Blake's eyes were shut, though she was panting slightly...as her Aura felt weak to the teenage 'teacher' observing her. Which wouldn't honestly surprise him all that much...Blake's 'special' power that she had discovered was the closest to his own he had seen.

And that included it using up her own power at a ridiculous rate. Ichigo had way more than enough energy...Blake didn't.

"Well...she improved her range," Ichigo deadpanned.

Ruby nodded, "Yup! I don't think it's easy for her to go all 'yahhh!' though."

The cuteness of Ruby trying to mimic his combat shouts aside, she had a point.

Shrugging slightly, the orangehead sighed, "It'll take awhile for her to get used to using her abilities. If it's anything like me anyway.

"Well, I coulda sworn Blake was channeling you when she pulled that flashy thing out," Yang added.

"Me or my father," Ichigo agreed, _which is odd, since Gambol Shroud is certainly not a Zanpakutō...so how does she do it?  
><em>

"Who I still want to meet."

An agreeing nod came from the younger sister, "I do too! You could meet our dad too. Not to mention Uncle Qrow said he wanted to meet you too!"

"Who?" Ichigo scowled, "And why...actually, how the hell does he even know about me?"

The younger girl giggled slightly, as she nervously tugged on her dress. Ichigo just raised an eyebrow, thoroughly curious now. And a bit worried to be fair...the last thing he wanted was _more_ people knowing about him. Naturally, he knew it was just a matter of time until the greater Kingdom knew of his abilities. But that didn't mean he had to want it to happen soon by any means. And, of course, the fact those two wanted to meet his father still freaked him out. Isshin Kurosaki would have a field day...

"I...kinda told him," Ruby smiled, "Uncle Qrow taught me everything I know. I wanted him to know that you're doing the same!"

_"It would make sense,"_ Zangetsu chimed in.

_"Maybe, but it kinda screws me over."_

His spirit didn't dispute the point. Sighing softly, Ichigo turned to Yang, "And why do you want to meet my dad so much?"

"You're always talking about him training you," she shrugged, "Plus I kinda want to see if he's anything like you."

A sweatdrop ran down Ichigo's face, "About that..."

Mercifully, for him, a frustrated sigh came from Weiss. The white-haired girl got to her feet, dusting herself off with an equally frustrated look adorning her pretty face. Sighing softly once more, the heiress turned to her teammates. Ichigo didn't have to really guess why she sounded frustrated either, not really. Something confirmed as she looked directly at him.

"I have _no_ idea what I'm doing wrong," Weiss complained, "I'm doing everything you had the others do."

As she said that, the girl pointed at Blake, who hadn't moved since she dropped to rest.

"But nothing works!"

The training with Weiss had been fun at one point in time. But the orangehead had learned- or perhaps, reiterated -that Weiss did _not_ like failing of falling behind in anything. And she had some form of block on discovering her 'super special power' as Ruby had termed it. Yang had her fire-fists, Blake had her pseudo-Getsuga...but Weiss...she couldn't seem to pull anything off. It was an open question of course why this was the case, but it frustrated the hell out of the heiress. And a frustrated Weiss was not a fun Weiss.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out!" Ruby moved to comfort her partner.

"You've said that for the last week," the Heiress complained, "And I still can't do what you all can."

"But you're the best at sensing Aura..."

Ichigo nodded, "Ruby has a point. Hell, you're better at it than _I_ am."

Weiss sniffed, "But I can't develop my Semblance beyond where it already was."

"You need to be proud of what you have," Blake finally spoke, getting to her feet- though sharp eyes from the resident male noted that she still shook slightly.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Weiss turned on the girl who, in many ways, was her opposite.

A shrug answered her, "You have an ability none of us do. Your Glyphs are versatile, and with your sensory abilities, you can lay traps."

"I still want to learn what my ability is," the white-haired girl crossed her arms stubbornly.

_What is it with these girls and being as stubborn as _I_ am?_ Ichigo couldn't help but wonder, even as he said aloud, "You'll find it eventually. Chill out already, you're giving me a migraine."

"What?!"

Yang broke out laughing at that shout, holding her sides at the indignant look Weiss had sent Ichigo. Ruby looked to be holding back a giggle too, even as Blake smirked slightly. Ichigo couldn't hold back a chuckle of his own, as Weiss glared at her team...before a small smile crossed her own face. It hadn't been easy to do, but they had gotten the heiress to lighten up _just_ enough that she could laugh at herself on occasion. Such as when she let her 'ice queen' tendencies get the better of her. Or her temper, that was nearly as bad as Yang's in a way.

"Okay, that was funny," Yang wiped her eyes.

"Very funny," Weiss frowned, though the smile still tugged at her lips.

Ruby just clapped her hands, "That was funny! But it's getting kinda dark out here..."

Ichigo blinked, and looked around. And indeed, the sun _had_ gone down. Where did the time go when they were training?

**"Time flies when you're having fun with hot girls?"**

_"Will you _stop_ with that already?"_

Ignoring the sputtering from his uncooperative Zanpakutō, Ichigo turned to the rest of his team. They seemed just as surprised as he was, for what it was worth.

"I guess we have to go back to the room," Ruby continued, sounding distinctly put out by the idea.

"Come on sis," Yang punched her shoulder playfully, "I need my beauty sleep. Not easy looking like this y'know."

Snorting, Ichigo shook his head, "Oh, I'm sure you'll manage."

"You know you like it," Yang shot right back, grinning at the flush that came to Ichigo's face.

Weiss sighed, shaking her head as she walked past the others, "If you two are finished flirting, I would like to go to bed."

All Ichigo could do in reply was sputter, much as Zangetsu had been doing. Ignoring the laughter from his spirit, the orangehead settled for scowling at Weiss' back. He'd have to get her back for that one, one of these days...

_-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-_

Once the team had made it back to their room, Ichigo found himself sighing softly as he laid back in his bed. It was nice to just lay down and relax for once, actually. Between his school work and training his team in techniques he had never thought them capable of using...it was exhausting, to put things mildly. He wasn't going to complain about it, but that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy just laying down for once, now did it? At least he was better off than a lot of others at Beacon, since he already came in with a unique skill set. That being said...he wouldn't be getting that much time to relax at the moment.

"Hey, I wonder if Jaune's back yet?" Ruby spoke up, already in her pajamas.

"He's been rather...off...lately," Blake added.

"I'm going to check!"

As the leader left the room, Ichigo just rolled over and sighed softly. He had an inkling of why Jaune was 'off' as Blake put it. Clearly, he had been shaken up by his duel with Cardin. If the orangehead had to guess, he would guess the blonde was throwing himself into training. Granted, that was what _he _would do, and it may be coloring his perception...

A perception that was suddenly filled with a sight that had him going redder than his namesake.

"YANG!" Ichigo shouted, covering his eyes as he stumbled out of bed, "Put some clothes on woman!"

"Come on," the blonde giggled, "you've seen me get dressed before! And it's not like I'm _naked_."

"That doesn't mean I want to see it again!"

Yang just continued to laugh at Ichigo's obvious discomfort, as she reached for her sleep shirt. The shinigami just grumbled, and left the room. Maybe the younger sister would be easier to deal with. Sometimes it seemed like Yang did stuff like this deliberately...

"Nope."

Speaking of Ruby, the younger girl was leaning against the wall, sitting next to a distinctly bedraggled Jaune. Both looked up at the red-faced shinigami, Jaune getting a confused look while Ruby smiled sympathetically. She knew _exactly_ why her friend was red-faced. After all, Ruby _had_ grown up with Yang and knew her sister's personality well. Better than anyone really.

"What are you two doing?" Ichigo asked, as much to distract them from his face as anything.

Ruby understood almost immediately. Say what you would about her childish personality, she was quite observant when she wanted to be.

"Convincing Jaune he isn't a failure," she replied, casting a look to her side, "Which he isn't! He's cool."

"Don't lie to my face," the blonde in question complained, before sighing, "And I am a failure. I couldn't even beat Cardin...and then I look at you guys! All of you are great fighters, and you're doing stuff I didn't think was possible. And here I am just...failing at everything."

"Nope," Ruby repeated.

Ichigo, for his part, elected to stay quiet for now. He wasn't as close to Jaune as Ruby was...and this was the perfect opportunity for his friend to flex her muscles, so to speak. If she could talk Jaune down, that would be a good thing anyway...and honestly, Ichigo fully expected that she was capable of that. Ruby _was_ his leader for a reason. A damn good one, in fact.

"You're a leader now Jaune, you can't afford to be a failure," the young teen continued.

Jaune didn't bother hiding his misery, "But what if I'm a failure at being a leader? I can't even keep up with my team."

"Nope," the girl repeated once more, "Jaune...maybe you were a failure as a kid. Maybe you were a failure when you got here, but you _can't_ be a failure now. You're a leader...we both are. What we do, reflects on our teammates. They rely on us to lead them, that's what Ichigo told me."

_No I didn't...then again, if she wants to use a little white lie..._

"And that's why we can't fail...we can't fail _them _Jaune!" Ruby swung her arms to accentuate her point, "Because they rely on us."

"But..."

Ruby waved a finger, "No buts mister! I think you can be a great leader. Your team _deserves_ a great leader, and I think that can be you Jaune."

Holding back a snort at the way Ruby was acting- he could see she was doing it to cheer her friend up -Ichigo nodded himself, "She has a point you know. You're great at leading, if that fight with the Deathstalker was anything to go off of. Sure, you aren't any good in a fight..."

_OW!_

Ignoring Ruby pinching his side, Ichigo plowed right on, "But that's not your fault. Just train with your team...I'm sure they'd help. I'd offer myself...but I'm busy enough with these four. I swear, I never get any rest..."

"But your training is fun!" Ruby protested.

"And I never get any rest from it," the orangehead repeated, "Anyway, talk to your team Jaune. Get some training if you can, and I'm sure you'll get better."

"Yeah!" Ruby agreed, "Anyway though, good night for now Jaune. See you in the morning. Remember we have an awesome field trip tomorrow!"

With that said, the two members of RWBIY went back into their dorm. Ichigo cast one last look back, and saw a determined look flash across Jaune's face. Hopefully they had gotten through to him...because the last thing he wanted to see was a friend- even one not as close as his teammates -get hurt. Hopefully Jaune would work with his team...

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><p><strong>Jaune Arc<strong>

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><p>Ichigo's wish aside, the next day found Jaune walking behind his team, a bit of a lost look on his face. The blonde had gone into his room determined to figure out how he was going to improve his skills. He did have that offer from Pyrrha to work with! But the moment Jaune had actually entered the room, his nerves came back in full force. The look Pyrrha had sent him hadn't helped a whole lot. He knew he wasn't around as much these days, since he had been practicing on his own so much. Jaune was determined to improve his skills on his own as much as possible, after all...he hadn't lied when he told Pyrrha that. But, Ichigo's words had shook him up...enough to think about asking for help. Only for the disappointed look his friend sent him to shoot that idea in the foot.<p>

Hence the lost look currently adorning his face, as he walked a bit back from his team.

"Yes indeed students, the forest of Forever Fall is beautiful," Professor Goodwitch cut in, "but we are not here to sight see."

Lifting his head up slightly, Jaune noticed that Ruby and Yang were sending awed looks at the forest around them. It was very...red...at least.

_Like Pyrrha's hair...don't think that way Jaune..._

Sighing slightly, the blonde shook those thoughts from his head again. He didn't want to think about Pyrrha at the moment...or the way she still seemed angry with him. He had made a mistake...and he didn't know how to make up for it.

"Professor Peach has requested you retrieve samples from deep in the forest," Goodwitch continued on, not noticing one student's discomfort, "and I'm here to make sure none of you die while doing so."

Jaune gulped at that statement, doing his best to ignore the laughter from CRDL behind him. Goodwitch always seemed a bit grim, but that didn't make the blonde feel any better about the situation. The last thing he wanted was getting into a fight right now...not when he hadn't trained enough. Ruby's words still echoed in his head...

_"We can't fail _them_ Jaune..."_

Shaking his head slightly, the blonde sighed again. His nerves were getting the better of him again...

"Each of you are to gather one jar worth of red sap. However, this forest is full of the creatures of Grimm, so be sure to stay close to your teammates. Have fun."

The way the Professor ended with 'have fun' didn't exactly do much to feel Jaune with motivation. Not to mention the way that both Pyrrha and Ichigo were sending him looks was a bit awkward. At least the latter only nodded once before moving to join his own team. Pyrrha though...she just waited for Jaune to catch up to her. Squaring his shoulders and letting out a breath, Jaune moved to his partner. He gave her a weak smile, nervously scratching his head.

For her part, Pyrrha just gave him a flat look, before turning her head. It wasn't about to be admitted out loud, but Jaune couldn't deny that hurt a bit. He knew she was angry with him...but he had hoped she wouldn't stay annoyed this long. It looked like that was the case though, and it did a lot to depress him really. There was only so much anyone could take of one of their friends being annoyed with them before they got depressed to be honest. This depressed tilt to his appearance didn't go unnoticed though. Before he could _really_ start slumping, Jaune felt a finger poke his side.

"Huh?" the teen blinked, noticing Pyrrha had turned back around. It was just the two of them too, the others already moving on.

"Jaune...I'm sorry," the redhead said.

"You're...sorry?"

Pyrrha nodded, "Yes. I know I've been ignoring you...I just thought you wanted your space. But...you've not liked that, have you?"

_She was...doing that for me?_

Blinking again, all Jaune could do was shake his head, "Not really. I mean, I thought you were angry with me!"

A small laugh answered that, as the redhead placed a hand on her partner's shoulder.

"No Jaune, I wasn't angry with you."

"Well that's a relief," Jaune smiled slightly.

His friend smiled back, before grabbing his arm, "Come on. Let's get back to the others."

It was a sign of just how much better a mood he was in, that Jaune didn't protest his friend dragging him along.

_-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-_

"This is easy," Ichigo deadpanned, as he was loaded up with his teams jars...maybe with a hint of sarcasm to his words.

"It may be for you," Ren countered, "but not for me."

"Heh," Nora giggled, her mouth covered in the sweet red sap...taken from Ren's jar.

"I think it's fun," Ruby pumped her fist, as her sister nodded in agreement, "We don't get to do field trips often!"

Watching the others interact, Jaune felt more at ease than he had in a long time. Maybe he had needed this more than he would readily admit. Being able to spend time with his friends, just talking and working together, was a nice change of pace. Gathering the sap didn't feel like something he wouldn't know how to do. There wasn't any risk of something worse than getting a bit of the sticky substance on his clothes here, unlike a spar at school where he'd probably lose badly. Well, actually, scratch that...there was a bigger risk than just getting a bit sticky.

"Achoo!"

...namely, the fact he seemed to be allergic to the sap. Jaune rubbed his nose, a pitying look on Pyrrha's face as she held both of their jars. The blonde had managed to get some of the sap on his face, and had been sneezing ever since. Not to mention he could have sworn there was some swelling. It wasn't a fun experience to be sure.

_I think I'm allergic to this stuff..._

"Are you okay?" Pyrrha asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

Jaune waved a hand, "I'm fine! I may be allergic to this stuff though..."

"That's unlucky," Ichigo winced in sympathy, even as he tried to juggle the four jars in his arms, "But at least you aren't having to carry all the jars. Seriously, why am _I_ playing pack mule?"

"Well, you _are_ the only guy on our team," Yang pointed out.

An eyebrow went up, "And that makes me the one who has to carry everything? Sexist."

"He has a point," Blake nodded in the background.

Yang sent her partner a wounded look, "Traitor."

All she got in reply was a shrug. For his part, Jaune just held back a laugh. The interactions of Team RWBIY were always entertaining, even to those outside said team. This was just one of those times, and it would have been impossible to not laugh at least a _little_ at the way the other teens acted. Ichigo was always deadpan, competing with Ren for the trophy in that regard. Ruby and Yang were always joking around with him too, with Weiss or Blake jumping in on either side.

No fun lasts forever however. As Jaune was holding back his laughter, Ichigo's head snapped up, as he flashed to the side in that odd movement thing he could do. Blinking at the sight, Jaune felt his eyes widen as a jar of sap landed on the ground where he had been standing. Considering that, when he reappeared, Ichigo was still holding all four of the ones in his arms...it wasn't from him. Someone had _thrown_ that at the orangehead. And Jaune didn't have to be a genius to know _who_ that someone probably was. After all, only one person would have reason to throw something at Ichigo.

_Cardin? But why would he do that...wait, what's that? Please tell me I'm not hearing what I think I'm hearing..._

Turning around slowly with a feeling of dread, Jaune saw a swarm of very familiar insects approaching. Familiar from Port's last exam to be more specific...and it made the blonde feel like running for his life. A swarm of Rapier Wasps was the _last_ thing he wanted to see zooming towards him.

"What the hell?!" Ichigo shouted, dropping his jars.

"Yang, Ichigo!" Ruby broke in, Crescent Rose already in her hands, "Handle the wasps! Blake, you and Weiss find Professor Goodwitch!"

Realizing that this was his friend pulling out her 'leadership' skills, Jaune turned to his own team, "Nora! You and Ren go with them!"

The four teens in question nodded, and ran off. Jaune drew Crocea Mors and squared his shoulders. Beside him, Pyrrha had her own weapon drawn. Yang and Ichigo were standing back to back, their own weapons glinting in the sunlight. Ruby had Crescent Rose spinning and ready to cut wasps into pieces. That being said, even Jaune had to wonder why Ruby had started by sending members of her team off- even if he had done the same -as the wasps were not the most dangerous thing in the world, though the stingers _hurt_. Killing them shouldn't be that hard...even for _him_.

It was then that he remembered they were in a forest 'full of Grimm'. The sounds of killing the wasps...the sound of cracking glass from the jar, and the laughter that was easily identifiable as Cardin and his team...all of that could draw Grimm. Made sense that Ruby would want the Professor back.

_Why did she send off her own partner with Blake though?_

"Here they come!" Pyrrha broke in, her weapon in its rifle form as she fired at the incoming insects.

"I've never seen a bug this big before," Ichigo added nonchalantly, as he almost casually sliced his sword so fast that Jaune couldn't even _follow_ it.

Yang had a frown on her face as her fists _caught on fire_, "Eww...remind me to clean my gauntlets later. This is just nasty."

"At least you can burn them sis!" Ruby sounded quite disgusted as bug innards flew around her blade, "That's why you're here!"

_Oh! That's why she's here!_

Ducking under a stinger aimed at his head, Jaune suddenly felt a bit happy that the others were around. Individually, even _he_ could handle Rapier Wasps. A swarm that never seemed to end like this one though...he didn't want to _think_ about that. Luckily for him though, said swarm seemed far more focused on the three behind him, than on either the blonde or Pyrrha. Probably because Ichigo and Yang had managed to slaughter dozens of the bugs between the two of them- and Ruby wasn't far behind either.

_Un_luckily for him though...

"Was that what I think it was?"

"I..." Pyrrha tried answering, before a screaming Cardin Winchester flew over the group of teenager's heads. Behind him, the rest of CRDL sprinted down a slope, clearly terrified of something. That something being the source of the roar that had lead Jaune to ask his question.

A roar that revealed an Ursa stomping down the hill. And if that wasn't bad enough, the sight of _this_ Ursa made Jaune's blood run cold. It would have been one thing if the Ursa had been like the one Nora had ridden during initiation. That one had been fairly average, if Port's class was any indication. _This_ Ursa...

_Oh no..._

"That's a big Ursa," Ichigo deadpanned, as he continued to cut the wasps.

It was most certainly not average. The head and shoulder armor were the same as the smaller variety of bear-Grimm. But the back...was coated in evil looking spikes. And the size...it was easily twice as big as Nora's Ursa had been. Needless to say, Jaune felt his arms shake at the sight. Especially as the wasps continued to keep the members of RWBIY busy. Only Pyrrha could help him...and she was just as busy as the others shooting down the wasps that were now angling for the downed Cardin.

"I guess it's me huh?" Jaune whispered weakly, before squaring his shoulders. He couldn't back down. He knew he wasn't the best fighter...but if he backed down now, he'd never forgive himself.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha clearly wasn't happy about that however...even as the blonde charged forward.

"Yaaah!"

Charging at the Ursa, Jaune briefly wondered if he had lost his mind trying this. Said thoughts were pushed from his head, as the massive bear brought a paw down on his face. If he hadn't raised his shield at the last moment...even so, the blow nearly buckled his knees. Gritting his teeth, Jaune pushed up with all his strength. The Ursa backed up at that, allowing Jaune to roll away, raising his sword as he did so. The Ursa growled in anger, as it stomped in his direction. Taking a deep breath, Jaune ran to meet the bear halfway. His sword came down, cutting into its thick hide.

The Grimm reared back in pain, blood flowing from the cut on its chest. If anything, the pain merely angered it further however. Roaring at Jaune, the Ursa swept its paw out once more. The blonde leaped over the blow, surprise mixing with his determined look. A determination that allowed him to narrowly catch the follow up blow on his shield. It still pushed him back, but the young man wasn't sent flying...and that was the important thing...his training had clearly paid off. If he could take that blow, he could win this fight. He had his shield to keep his Aura intact. He had a sword that could cut the thick Ursa-hide...he could do this.

"You can do this Jaune..." he muttered, his voice gradually gaining strength, "I can do this!"

A disagreeing roar came from the Ursa, as the bear lunged forward, jaws ready to bite into Jaune's outstretched arm. Eyes widening momentarily, Jaune tried to move his shield around to catch the blow...and just when it looked like he wouldn't manage, the gleaming white barrier took the Ursa's blow, stunning the creature as it bounced its head off the antique shield. And stunning the blonde just as much, as he couldn't believe he moved that fast. The bear recovered quickly enough, rearing back and attempting to squash Jaune under its expansive paw once more.

But determination had filled the blonde teen now. He caught the blow on his shield, rolling with the blow. It was almost entirely instinct now, but it didn't matter if it was instinct or training. What did matter, was that Jaune used the momentum to come up with his sword swinging. Crocea Mors gleamed in the sunlight, red petals falling around it from the trees...as equally red blood came from the Ursa's neck. Jaune's antique sword proved just as useful as Zangetsu or Crescent Rose, as the sharp blade cut into the Ursa's neck. The old weapon faced little resistance, as it cleaved clean through the tough hide and spine of the Grimm.

Head and body fell in different directions, as Jaune stumbled from the lack of resistance. A shocked look came over his face, as he looked down at the dissolving body of the Grimm...as clapping came from behind him.

"Nice. Knew you had it in you," Ichigo's voice spoke up.

Turning around, Jaune blinked at the devastated corpses of the Rapier Wasps. There wasn't a single living one left, as the others were sending him impressed looks. Ruby was practically bouncing actually, as she excitedly mimicked his moves while chattering with Yang. Ichigo had a rare smile on his face, nodding in respect at the blonde's achievement.

But...but, the most important look to Jaune was the look of unmitigated _pride_ on Pyrrha's face.

"I knew you could fight Jaune," the redhead said, grin on her face, "you always could."

"No I couldn't..." Jaune scratched his head, but he couldn't help the smile that crossed his face, as the others turned away and left him with Pyrrha- conveniently making him miss the nod Ichigo sent at his partners, satisfied with his choice to let Jaune fight the Ursa on his own, a choice mimicked by Pyrrha.

A shake of the head came from the redhead, "You could Jaune! You have the skill...even if you didn't know you did..."

It didn't take a genius to know why the girl's voice trailed off. A genius he was not, but Jaune knew that much...he knew that Pyrrha probably felt guilty for not helping him train or fight- though he _was_ off in the latter case.

"Pyrrha...I..." taking a breath, Jaune forced his guilt down, "I was an idiot. I barely beat that Ursa, and that was after I trained so hard on my own. Are you...are you still willing to help me? Help me become a better fighter?"

The smile never once left Pyrrha's face, as she nodded, "Yes Jaune...yes, I can still help you."

Both teens smiled at the other, as they moved to join the others.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I took a bit of artistic license with the Rapier Wasps. It's safe to assume they are <em>not<em> that big, though probably bigger than average Earth-wasps. That being said, it was for the sake of the scene so there is that. Suffice to say, they weren't _that_ much of a threat...it was more a conscious choice to let Jaune handle the Ursa, than any problem with the wasps keeping Ichigo or Ruby or whoever away from it. I kept the Ursa mostly because it's _very_ key to Jaune's development as a character...though, clearly, things were different this time due in large part to his training instead of being Cardin's whipping boy.  
><strong>

**Since I'm sure Blake will get questions: she's using that attack she used on Torchwick in _No Brakes_. Presumably that was Weiss' Dust cartridges in that case...but here, it's her unique ability thanks to the training. It's also confusing the hell out of Ichigo.**

**Hope that makes sense! I also hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. Next couple will be equivalent to the last two episodes of V1, after which we move to the next subarc to bridge V1 and V2. For now though...on to the reviews:**

**desdelor97, Kragh50, Telron, Zackmon, liberty86, Guest, Mazamba, Seigogerman, Ranmaleopard, JJN37, correnhimself316, MEleeSmasher, The Digger92: **Thanks for the reviews!

**The10thDoctor1964:** Oh certainly. Cardin is lucky Ichigo has a firm hold on ole' Zangetsu really.

**hollowichigo12:** Yeah, Cardin not being able to blackmail Jaune has some importance here...certainly because _Ichigo_ is the source of his ire now.

**Krazyfanfiction1:** The speed of the regen depends on how much power Ichigo is willing to use. Could be instant, could take minutes or hours.

**CrystalCipher:** I can say Ichigo is normally holding back in his fights, mostly to avoid questions. As in previous ANs though...his full power level is a secret for quite a bit longer.

**PersonaQeminod1:** The lack of Hollows makes that impossible. While it is possible people still go to Hell in Remnant, there aren't any Hollows, and as such, no reason for Ichigo to be near it.

**yiggdrasill:** I always assumed it was typical teenage behavior...avoid the bully where possible, since it 'isn't my problem'. The 'focus' teams don't seem the type to do that, but it _is_ possible. Eh, good thing Ichi's around in this case.

**Gravenimage:** Honestly, I think people should have figured it out by now, me saying anything or not...I've been dropping hints since the start.

**Grinja:** This is true, those two do get a lot of time together.

**xbox432:** Glad you liked the CRDL bit. Field Trip didn't change _that_ much, but I think what did change was important.

**spartan-140:** That reply was actually referencing Bleach itself, not this story.

**Hollow Saigo no Getsuga Tensho:** Can't answer that one, sorry.

**Assault Godzilla:** Oh yeah, Cardin is going to be a pain in Ichigo's side for the foreseeable future. Ichigo's got plenty to teach really, and I'm trying to make it natural...they won't learn everything quickly.

**AN: There we go. I can't believe we're almost at 250 for so few chapters...I hope everyone keeps reviewing! It's always nice to see this much interest in a story.**


	11. The Stray

**AN: Next chapter right on time. Not a whole lot changes here admittedly, but the second half does have some more Ichigo/Blake- no, not romantic sense -interaction though, to balance things out. Hope everyone enjoys it!  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Ichigo Kurosaki<br>**

* * *

><p><em>Don't remember the last time I saw Vale this busy...<em>

_"The Vytal Festival is quite important Ichigo. We have merely never been in this portion of town during it,"_ Zangetsu pointed out.

He had a point in that respect. Ichigo had never really felt the _need_ to be around during the Vytal Festival. He understood the reasoning behind it, and why it was so important in his new home. That being said, he didn't like really loud and large crowds, something that the Festival had in _spades_. That whole 'loner' thing the orangehead had going on wasn't a joke in the slightest. At least, leaving aside his team who he was good friends with. It was only _because_ of that friendship that he was in Vale in the first place in fact. If he weren't such good friends with his team, Ichigo would have far preferred staying at Beacon and taking a break from all the training.

Though, then again, if the dirty looks Yang was sending a certain white-haired Heiress were any indication, he wasn't the only one who wanted to be back at the school.

**"Why you let her convince you to come here in the first place is beyond me Kingy."**

_"Yeah, trust me, I know."  
><em>

Weiss was unusually oblivious to the obvious dislike coming from the blonde and shinigami though. Normally she was more observant than that.

"Oh the Vytal Festival! This is wonderful!" Weiss grinned. _Grinned_.

Ruby picked up on the weirdness of that action quickly enough, "I don't think I've ever seen you smile this much Weiss. It's kinda weirding me out..."

"You aren't the only one," Ichigo muttered, getting a giggle from the leader.

Regardless of the context of the giggle, Weiss seemed to not care, "How could you _not_ smile? A festival dedicated to the cultures of the world?"

**"Kingy...please...stop her..."**

Ichigo was inclined to agree with his spirit at this point. He really _didn't_ care about the Festival as much as Weiss seemed to. Not that _his_ opinion was going to make her stop any time soon.

"There will be dances, parades...a tournament!" the heiress continued right on, "Oh the amount of planning and organization that goes into this is simply breathtaking!"

It was Yang's turn to scoff at that statement. She rolled her eyes at Ichigo, before looking at the oblivious heiress.

"You really know how to take a good thing and make it boring," the blonde complained.

"Quiet you," Weiss shot back.

Yang just sighed, "Remind me again why we're spending our Friday afternoon at the stupid docks?"

In that, Ichigo was inclined to agree with his friend. Bad enough that he was stuck in Vale during the build up to the Festival. But having to go to docks was seemingly pointless. It wasn't like anything big was happening there, and it just made the trip seem like an even _bigger_ waste of time to him. Only Weiss seemed interested in the docks too. Not even Blake showed any interest, and she normally had at least somewhat similar interests to the heiress. Which raised the question of just _why_ Weiss was so interested in them. At least Vale had the excuse of the Festival.

"Ugh, they smell like fish..."

And Ruby wasn't the only one who plugged their nose either. Ichigo was as much a fan of fish meals as anyone, but not the smell of rotting fish. He was honestly surprised that Weiss wasn't showing any reaction to it. Considering her background and personality.

"I've heard that students from Vacuo will be arriving at the docks today," she answered the question in her team's minds, "and as a representative of Beacon, I consider it my solemn duty to welcome them to this fine kingdom."

Ichigo blinked, and leaned over to Yang, "Isn't she from Atlas?"

"Yup," the blonde replied, a grin taking over her face.

"I heard that!" Weiss glared at the unrepentant teens, "I may be from Atlas, but I am still a student of Beacon."

Blake's face held a smirk as she shook her head slightly, "Who only wants to be here to spy on them to have the upper hand in the tournament."

"You can't prove that!"

The resident shinigami just shook his head. And inside his...head...Zangetsu- both of them -did the exact same. The darker portion of the blade even outright laughed, as he held his sides.

**"I woulda thought she already has an edge, eh Kingy?"** the Hollow chuckled.

_"One would think..."_

Out loud, Ichigo raised an eyebrow at the heiress, "You know, you already have an advantage with what I've taught you, right?"

"Yes but..."

Before Weiss could counter that statement, Ruby diverted her team's attention.

"Whoa..."

Following where the leader was looking, Ichigo's eyebrow went even higher. He couldn't tell what type of shop it was from where he was standing, but it was clear that _some_ sort of shop had been robbed. Not just robbed even...more like ransacked. A window was smashed out, and his sharp eyes could pick out that the inside was torn apart. Not to mention all the police tape around it. Clearly, something major had happened there. And it just _had_ to be where they were. Which got a small sigh out of him, especially as it was _Ruby_ who had noticed. Because it was only a matter of time until...

...the others decided they wanted to find out what had happened. Ichigo sighed again as his team moved directly for the shop. It wasn't their problem, not by a long shot. Students weren't expected to solve a criminal case, that was the job of the police. Who clearly were investigating it anyway. That hardly stopped the rest of his team though.

"What happened here?" Ruby asked, once the little group reached the police tape.

A bearded officer looked up, not showing any surprise at the group of heavily armed teenagers, "Robbery. Second Dust shop to be hit this week."

Walking away from the teens after that, Ichigo only barely heard the man add a second comment.

"This place is turning into a jungle..."

_"This would mark at least three robberies of Dust shops, counting the one Ruby spoke of," _ Zangetsu chimed in, _"This is clearly an organized crime ring. No other group would attack just Dust shops in this manner."_

_"You thinking what I'm thinking?"  
><em>

**"If you're thinking girly man, yeah."**

Holding back a snort at Zangetsu's description, Ichigo inwardly nodded, _"Torchwick, yeah."_

That theory was reinforced with what the other officer said.

"They didn't take the money again."

"I don't get it, who needs that much Dust?" the first officer mused.

His partner shrugged, "I dunno, an army?"

"You thinkin...the White Fang?"

It was possible the others didn't notice. But when the officer mentioned the White Fang, both Ichigo and Weiss turned to look at Blake. The former because he was experienced enough to pick up on little fluctuations in Aura, the latter because she was almost _scarily_ good at sensory abilities. And right now, Blake let her Aura flash in a momentary bit of anger at the suggestion it was the White Fang. _Why_ she did so was anyone's guess though...she couldn't possibly be connected to those idiots.

"I'm thinkin we don't get paid enough," the second officer finished, before both of them wandered off.

As they wandered off, Weiss scoffed. All attention- including Ichigo, who had been giving Blake a curious look -turned once more to the Heiress, "The White Fang...what a bunch of degenerates."

"What's your problem?" Blake shot back, hostility clear in her voice

Weiss blinked, clearly not understanding the hostility, "My problem? I simply don't care for the criminally insane."

"The White Fang are hardly a bunch of pyschopaths. They're a collection of misguided Faunus," the dark-haired girl countered.

"Misguided? They want to wipe humanity from the face of the planet!"

"Well then they're very misguided!" Blake's temper was clearly flaring now, "either way, it doesn't explain why they would rob a Dust shop in the middle of downtown Vale."

For their parts, the remaining members of the team just looked amongst each other with confused looks. The hostility coming from Blake at any insult to the White Fang was...more than a little odd, to put things mildly. Weiss could be wording things better, but to Ichigo at least, she wasn't _wrong_. The White Fang was far from a group of good guys. At least, not at the moment. There was a reason that humans were terrified of them, and it wasn't because the terrorists were bringing flowers to protests.

Ruby was the one who finally broke the silence though, "Blake has a point...besides, they never caught that Torchwick guy I ran into a few months ago. Maybe it was him?"

"I'd say it probably was him," Ichigo chimed in, "only Dust and not the money? Who else would do exactly what he was doing?"

"Yeah!"

Weiss just scoffed again, "Either way, it doesn't change the fact that the White Fang are a bunch of scum. Those Faunus only know how to lie, cheat, and steal."

"What the hell is your problem?" the orangehead's scowl deepened.

"My problem?" Weiss parroted her own words from earlier.

"Yeah, you're acting like they're animals."

What was left unsaid, was that Weiss was acting like Cardin. The Heiress started to sputter angrily, only for a shout to distract the entire team. And make Ichigo strong tempted to facepalm.

"Hey, stop that Faunus!"

**"Not helping their case Kingy,"** Zangetsu chimed in, as RWBIY ran towards the dock once more.

_"Tell me about it."_

As the group of teens reached the dock, they saw a blonde teen with...a monkey tail...jump off the boat. And promptly use said tail to hang from a lamppost. If the situation were any less serious- what with the way this was _not_ helping the case in convincing Weiss Faunus weren't bad -Ichigo would be tempted to snort. The very monkey-esque action, right down to peeling a banana, was amusing to say the least.

"Hey, a no-good stowaway would have been caught!" the Faunus shouted, bringing Ichigo back to him, "I'm a great stowaway!"

"Hey, get down from there this instant!" the bearded officer shouted.

For his part, Ichigo blinked, somewhat surprised the officers had gotten down there so quickly. Police were not trained at an academy like he was, so that was actually...somewhat impressive. It would have been rather more impressive, if the Faunus hadn't just replied by throwing his banana peel into the officers face. The teen didn't bother holding back a snort this time, as Ruby giggled next to him. It _was_ amusing. Even Zangetsu was laughing at the move, as it was so...funny to see. Not many would do something like that to an officer of the law.

**"I think I like him King."**

Nodding in agreement, Ichigo watched as the Faunus blitzed past the cops and ran right up the stairs. Not to mention right past his team...not even stopping once. Though he did turn his head and wink at Blake, who looked stunned by that.

**"Maybe he likes them darker?"**

Ignoring his Hollow-side in favor of his team, Ichigo held back a smile at the deadpan look Yang wore as she watched the Faunus run away.

"Well Weiss, you wanted to see the competition? There he goes."

Weiss was shaken from her own stupor by that, "Quick! We have to observe him!"

And promptly ran off after the fleeing stowaway. The sisters were quick to follow, but Blake still seemed rooted to the spot. Ichigo just sighed slightly, well-used to the impulsiveness of his teammates by now. Though, granted, it was highly unusual for it to be _Weiss_ doing it.

"You okay?" he asked the one teammate still with him.

Blake shook her head, "Yeah. Let's go after them."

It was increasingly clear that the dark-haired girl was _not_ okay. Ichigo wasn't sure still what was wrong with her today, but something about that other teen had shaken his friend up. Nothing for it though, because right now, they had to find the rest of the team. As such, both of them took off after the others, quickly catching up as they rounded a corner...

...only to see Weiss run head first into another girl.

_Nice one there ice queen..._

Shaking his head slightly, Ichigo followed the other girls as Weiss groaned about the Faunus getting away. That was the least of the problems at the moment though. While it was possible miss sensory abilities was too distracted, Ichigo was not. And the girl she had landed on had his attention, his _full_ attention. There was something distinctly off about the redhead, and it had him feeling uncomfortable. Grimm didn't even make him feel discomfort in this way, but something about the girl Weiss still hadn't noticed did. In Ruby's words...it was 'weirding him out'. Because as the girl just lay where she had fallen, the feeling he was getting from her was almost skin-crawlingly unnatural.

Even Zangetsu was shuddering slightly, inside the teenager's soul. It wasn't that the girl felt _dark_ like the Grimm, or even like a Hollow. But she felt distinctly...off. Like something was wrong with her Aura, which by extension, meant something wrong with her soul. It felt unnatural, in a way. Almost like the Aura wasn't hers. The best way he could describe it, would be the feeling of a Zanpakutō that was apart from its wielder. He had seen his old man materialize Engetsu once, and the feeling had been...different.

Thing was, even that didn't fit this girl. It was maddening.

_"I am as curious as you Ichigo, however, we should focus on who she is first and foremost," _the Quincy portion of Zangetsu spoke up.

Yang seemed to agree, though it was possible she hadn't noticed what Ichigo had.

"Umm...Weiss," the blonde pointed at the girl on the ground.

"Ahh!" Weiss jumped back, when she realized she had run into someone...who was now grinning at her.

"Salutations!" the strange girl said, grin never leaving her face.

"Uh...are you...okay?" Yang asked, sounding just as weirded out as Ichigo felt.

The girl on the ground just nodded, "I'm wonderful, thank you for asking!"

_All_ of team RWBIY shared a look at that. At least it wasn't only him feeling odd now...

"You want to get up?" Ichigo asked, not _quite_ able to keep his discomfort from his voice.

Luckily for him, this girl seemed oblivious to it, as she looked thoughtful before replying, "Yes!"

And promptly jumping to her feet, in a way that most Huntresses wouldn't have pulled off. This situation was getting stranger and stranger by the minute. What was it about his team that attracted strange things? Sometimes Ichigo seriously wondered about that...

"Hello, my name is Penny. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

Once more, the team looked amongst themselves. How to react to that...

"Hi Penny, I'm Ruby," the leader dove right in as usual.

"I'm Weiss."

"Blake."

Ichigo looked at the girl, before sighing slightly, "Ichigo."

"You sure you didn't hit your head?" Yang asked, getting a snort from the orangehead before Blake slapped her arm, "Oh, I'm Yang."

Penny just continued to grin, "It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"You already said that..." Weiss replied.

"So I did!" and the grin never once faltered. Even _Zangetsu _didn't have a grin like that.

"Well, I'm sorry for running into you," the heiress continued, turning away. The rest of the team followed, as Ruby waved back at the strange girl.

"Take care friend."

It would be a lie if Ichigo said he wasn't happy to be moving away from the girl. He was getting more and more uncomfortable the longer he was around her. It was mean to think that way to be fair, especially since she seemed friendly enough. But he just _couldn't shake the feeling_ that something was seriously wrong with Penny. He couldn't put his finger on it, but that hardly mattered when it came to his comfort. Best to just forget about her since, like the Dust robbery, it wasn't _his_ problem. Someone would sort it out, hopefully.

"She was...weird," Yang commented, once the rounded the corner.

Ichigo just nodded, "Very weird. Her Aura felt off."

"It di..." Weiss began to ask, before she noticed something that had her sputtering and spinning around.

Namely, speak of the devil, and she shall appear in front of you.

"What did you call me?" Penny asked.

Yang blinked, and frowned, "Um...I'm sorry about that..."

"No, not you," the strange girl countered, moving to stare down on Ruby, "You."

For her part, all the leader could do was blink and lean back, her face showing shock and maybe a bit of fear, "Umm...I'm sorry...uhh...what did I call you?"

"You called me friend...am I really your friend?"

Ruby clearly didn't know how to react, as she looked over Penny's shoulder, "Umm..."

The other girls on the team were all crossing their arms and shaking their heads frantically. Blake even took it a step further and was waving her arms around to get the point across. For his part, Ichigo just sighed and facepalmed. He knew Ruby well enough by now...to know exactly what she was going to say to that question. Hence the facepalm, since he didn't really want strange girl hanging around. Nothing against Penny, but the way her Aura was just rubbed him wrong, to say the least.

"Sure," Ruby finally said...managing a snort out of Ichigo as the others all fell over on their backs in shock.

Penny, on the other hand, looked like her birthday had come early, "Sensational! We can paint our nails, try on clothes, and talk about cute boys!"

As the others picked themselves off the ground, Ichigo tuned out the rest of the talk, in favor of turning to Yang. Blake was out of sorts, and Weiss and Ruby were busy with the strange girl. That left talking _about_ the strange girl to the blonde.

"Hey Yang," he sidled up next to her.

"Huh?" the girl replied, dusting herself off.

"You notice her Aura?"

Yang frowned, "Sorta. I mean, I'm not at good at that as you and Weiss are."

"Doesn't take being good to notice this."

And it really didn't either. Yang focused herself on the strange girl, and blinked her lilac eyes rapidly.

"Damn," she whistled, "That is strange. Any ideas Mr. Expert?"

"None," Ichigo sighed in response, "I've never felt anything like it. Damn it..."

"Well, that's a prob..."

Before the blonde could finish her complaint, a rather more pertinent issue came up. Namely...

"You arrogant brat!"

Blake stomping off, leaving the others in a stunned silence. Ichigo and Yang shared a look, both having missed whatever set the girl off. Weiss on the other hand, seemed to know what had happened. And been the target of that shout, considering both the context and the way she acted.

"How dare you! I'm your teammate!" the heiress stomped after the other girl.

"What you are is a judgmental little girl!"

As the two launched into quite the argument, Ichigo and Yang moved next to Ruby. Who looked totally out of her depth, seeing the first real fight among her teammates.

"Well...something got them angry," Ichigo deadpanned.

* * *

><p><strong>Blake Belladonna<strong>

* * *

><p>Ichigo's statement turned out to be quite accurate. At least in the case of Blake, who had been on the verge of a meltdown ever since the team had found that shop. Well, more accurately, she had been having a meltdown ever since Weiss had started insulting the White Fang at said shop. There wouldn't have been any problem beyond minor frustration at missing out on reading time, were it not for that actually. The shop was a nice mystery, but not one that Blake could really care about, if it weren't for Ruby bringing it up. Ichigo had seemed to be the same way if his eye rolls were any indication.<p>

But then that...that..._spoiled little brat_ had to insult the White Fang and Faunus in general. That officer suggesting they would raid a Dust shop like that was one thing. But the way that Weiss had _latched onto that_ and refused to let go drove Blake mad. Even after both Ichigo _and_ Ruby had pointed out it was far more likely to be Torchwick who had done the robbery. That had only served to deflect Weiss onto a more general rant. One she had not given up on since it started.

One that continued to this very second.

"I don't understand _why_ this is causing such a problem!"

"That _is_ the problem!" and Blake couldn't understand why Weiss couldn't see that.

"You realize you're defending an organization that hates humanity right?" the heiress countered, not realizing saying that didn't mean _quite_ the same to Blake as the rest of their team, "the Faunus of the White Fang are pure evil!"

And _that _did it.

"There's no such thing as pure evil!" Blake jumped to her feet, fists clenched at her side, "why do you think the White Fang hate humanity so much? It's because of people like Cardin...people like you, who force the White Fang to take such drastic measures!"

Weiss scoffed, "People like _me_?"

"You're discriminatory!"

"I'm a victim!"

After Weiss shouted that, the argument ground to a halt. Even Blake felt her temper momentarily flicker out, if in pure shock if nothing else. Why would Weiss consider herself a victim of the White Fang? She had never mentioned something like that before...then again, with her logical side coming back up if only momentarily, Blake could reflect she wasn't the best in telling her team things either...

"Do you want to know _why_ I despise the White Fang? Why I don't particularly trust the Faunus?"

As she said that, the Heiress moved to the window. She was clearly warring with herself, over if she should say what was on her chest or not. Blake could understand that...even as she wondered what Weiss was actually talking about.

"It's because my family has been at war with them for years...war, as in actual bloodshed. My grandfather's company has had a target painted on its back for as long as I can remember. Ever since I was a child, I've watched family friends disappear. Board members, executed. An entire train car full of Dust...stolen."

That last one hit Blake like, well, a speeding train. The girl could well remember the train...the train where she had finally cut ties to her old life. Where she had left behind the mentor who had been almost like an older brother to her. She could still remember his hand reaching out to her as she left him behind on the Dust train. Blake could still remember the damage the two had done to said train...and how it had almost ended in senseless loss of life. Things like that were her greatest shame...and it was not comfortable having that tossed into her face like this.

Not to mention, Weiss seemed to not be finished, as she shrugged off Ruby's attempt to comfort her.

"Every day, my father would come home furious," at that, the heiress clenched her fist angrily, "and that made for a very difficult childhood."

Spinning past Ruby, Weiss turned to the dark-haired girl in the room. Her eyes flashed with anger, as she looked up at the taller teen.

"That is why I despise the White Fang!" she shouted, "Because they're a bunch of liars, thieves, and murderers!"

Sympathy for Weiss' situation or not, Blake felt her temper flaring back up.

"Well maybe we were just tired of being pushed around!"

Even as she yelled that, Blake realized she had made a mistake. Ruby and Yang had their mouths drop open, even as Weiss backed up with a shocked expression on her face. Only Ichigo didn't show shock, he merely sighed and shook his head. Their reactions aside, Blake began to quickly freak out. She hadn't wanted to say that...she _shouldn't _have said that. Fear quickly rising to the fore, the girl shook her head swiftly.

"I...I..."

And bolted from the room. She vaguely heard Ruby yell after her, but that was not going to be enough to stop her.

_I shouldn't have said that. I should not have said that..._

Blake didn't slow down in the slightest until she reached the exit of the dorm. And she only did _that_, because she saw a familiar head of orange hair blocking her path.

"How did..." she asked, panting slightly.

Ichigo just shrugged, "You know only Ruby can keep up with me if I really want to be somewhere. So, what was that back there?"

The dark-haired girl was immediately on the defensive again, "Nothing, nothing at all."

"Then what's with the running?" the orangehead deadpanned.

"I..."

"Look, I won't say anything to the others if you don't want me to," Ichigo continued, "but with how much you four have wormed out of _me_ lately, I want to know if this is something important."

"Are you...serious?"

A nod answered that question, "Of course I am. That, and I don't care if you were in the White Fang. Which is what this looks like, by the way. No other reason you would be that angry at the princess."

He wasn't wrong. Blake hated to admit it, but her...friend...wasn't wrong with his assumptions. That was in her past though, a past she had been running from for so long now. She didn't want to have to face it again, least of all with people she was actually comfortable with.

But, Ichigo Kurosaki was not one to take no for an answer, was he?

"...yes, I was."

At that, Blake reached up to the bow on her head...and slowly undid it. As her hands came away with the piece of fabric, it revealed a pair of...cat ears. Small, purple fur covered cat ears, sticking right up off her head. She had expected her nature as a Faunus to get shock from Ichigo. The other teen had never shown any indication he knew she wasn't human. Not from the moment she had met him, had she ever seen him treat her as anything but a human. Granted...

"Huh."

...he was one of the rare ones who really didn't _care_ if you were a Faunus or human.

"That's all?" Blake asked, a bit of dry humor returning to her despite the situation.

Ichigo shrugged, "Yeah. I mean, I didn't know you were a Faunus but it kinda makes sense now. Especially the bow. Don't see why you kept this a secret though, considering you know that we don't have problems with Faunus."

All he got in reply to _that_ was a glare.

"Okay," the teen stepped back, "other than Weiss, we don't care. Seriously though, it isn't a big problem."

Blake just sighed, "It may not be for you. It may not be for even Ruby or Yang. But you are _not_ everyone. You've seen Cardin...and even Weiss. The Faunus are not equal, even now. I want people to see me and my achievements for _who _I am...what they are. Not what I am."

Looking out at the night sky, Blake clenched the ribbon in her hand.

"On top of that, I am a criminal. I may have left the White Fang, but I can never really leave that behind...so I hide in plain sight, with just the aid of this bow."

It was Ichigo's turn to sigh at that, "Okay, that at least makes sense. Still though...you can't hide that from the others now."

"I know that," Blake replied, "but..."

"You aren't ready?"

It seemed to happen quite often, but every time Ichigo did something like this, Blake was forced to reevaluate the other teen. He really was more insightful than his appearance or actions would lend one to believe. And it occasionally showed through...because he was totally right.

_I don't want to talk to them about this...not yet._

"No, not yet," the Faunus replied, "I...don't know what I would say. Especially to Weiss."

"She can find you easily enough y'know."

And that was a problem. Weiss was so good at sensing Aura, that it was almost impossible to hide from her if she wanted to find you. And right now, the last person Blake wanted to talk to was the heiress. How was she going to get time alone to put her raging emotions in order? She wouldn't get that time if Weiss tracked her down within a couple hours. And that was something the heiress was fully capable of doing, once she put her mind to it. So how was she going to avoid the others?

Of course, by now, Blake should have expected Ichigo to have something new to teach her. Because, with a sigh, he turned to look at his friend more fully. It looked like he didn't _want_ to tell her whatever it was though.

"Okay, listen up," the orangehead said, "activate your Aura."

Blake sent him an incredulous look, "That will just..."

"Just listen damn it," Ichigo shot back, "once you've got the Aura active, focus on it. Once you've got a hold of the thing, do the exact opposite of pushing it into an attack...pull it _in_. Watch me."

As he said that, frustration clear in his voice, the teenager began glowing blue once more. But as Blake watched with both her eyes and her new sensory abilities- albeit ones nowhere near as good as Weiss -she felt Ichigo's raging power slowly fade into...nothing. Okay, that was wrong. There was a small flash of his torrent of power once in a while, but overall...if she were relying on just sensing him, she wouldn't know he was there.

"How..."

Ichigo just shrugged, and sighed again, "Something the old man taught me. If you want to be stealthy, you can pull your Aura in and make it nearly impossible to sense the thing. I just didn't want to teach it yet, because now I'm going to have to teach _all_ of you how to do it. I don't get enough sleep as is damn it."

Smile tugging at her lips despite the situation, Blake did as Ichigo had told her. It was an extremely odd feeling pulling her power into herself like that. It went against ever instinct that Ichigo had drummed into his team...which might be why he had been annoyed with telling her. But even as she did so, she felt a flash of gratitude towards her friend. He hadn't judged her for her past, and was helping her- at an inconvenience for himself -to get the time she needed to put her thoughts into order. That was...really quite nice of him.

If she had ever doubted he treated his friends well, it was gone now.

"Good, looks like you got it," he spoke up after a few minutes, "Well, if you're going to go...do it now. I'll keep the others occupied."

As he turned to leave though, he looked back, "Be careful Blake. I don't want to have to try tracking you down to rescue you...and I can do that, even if you try hiding."

With his piece said, the teenager vanished into what he called shunpo. Blake watched him go, a small smile tugging at her lips still. Leaving Beacon, she walked up to the statue at the center of the plaza. The teenage girl didn't know where she would go...but this might be a start. She would have to go to Vale if she really wanted to hide of course...but for now, Blake could at least look at something to distract herself. Or would have been able to, were it not for a feeling pricking at her senses. With her own power bottled up like it was, it was oddly easier for her to sense others. And the Faunus girl could feel a power that was bright like the sun behind her, walking towards her slowly.

Since it wasn't Ichigo or anyone else she recognized...

_An enemy? No, it doesn't feel hostile_...

Blake turned around, and saw something that surprised her. Walking up with a cocky smirk on his face was the Faunus from earlier in the day. She wasn't expecting to see him, not up here. If anything, the girl wondered _how_ he had even gotten up here. Beacon had security...how had he gotten past it so easily? If it hadn't been for Ichigo's unique training, even _she_ wouldn't have noticed him. Though, to be totally fair, Blake could acknowledge she wasn't at her best at the moment.

"I knew you would look better without the bow," the other teen said, smirk widening.

"How did you get here?" Blake shot back.

The other Faunus shrugged, "I'm here for the tournament. Old Ozpin let me in earlier today. Name's Sun."

_Ironic, considering how his power feels._

"Blake."

Sun grinned, "Well, nice to meet you Blake. So, why're you out here this late?"

"Why are _you_ out here this late?"

"Oooh...good point," Sun scratched his chin, "I was exploring. Never been to Beacon before y'know?"

It made sense, Blake allowed, "So, Sun then...mind going down to Vale?"

"Oh, I can work with that."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And there we go. Not entirely satisfied here, but I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter!<strong>

**I should note...Penny is actually one of my favorite characters. Lots of potential with her really. But, as this was from Ichigo's perspective, she was _always_ going to feel off in some way. We still don't know how the hell they pulled off an artificial soul/Aura. It might be similar to a Mod Soul, but certainly not the same. As such...while Ichigo can't put his finger on it, she _really_ freaks him out.**

**Hope that explains that bit. Onto the reviews.**

**Reviews:**

**Telron, Grinja, duskrider, desdelor97, Kragh50, JJN37, JIMMYJAMSTER728, pltrgst, Cardin Haterz, NotSoSlimSh4dy, Ranmaleopard, Tracer28, Dragon and Sword Master: **Thanks for the reviews!

**KrazyFanfiction1:** Blake can only use it with her sheath. Like I said, basically the same thing she used against Torchwick.

**Drake93:** That would be equal parts awesome/amusing.

Yes.

Heh...I wondered when ship names would start popping up.

**PersonaQeminod1:** Well, we've touched on Penny a little here. That being said, what you suggest could potentially work...but it wouldn't be for a _looonnnggg _time.

**Gavedin:** This is true. But I used the_ No Brakes_ example because it was more a pseudo-Getsuga than the earlier ones.

**Mazamba:** Yeah, that's going to be a fun scene. I'm glad someone likes that I'm not overpowering him.

**xbox432:** Dance is going to be fun...I've already got things planned out in that regard. Should be interesting, though it is admittedly a ways off.

Isshin and the twins are going to be in the subarc. I'm debating if Taiyang and Qrow will be too or not though.

**Gravenimage:** Can't answer that one, unfortunately. Kinda tied into my 'keeping Ichigo's power level secret' thing.

**hollowichigo12:** Overprotective dad? Ichigo would probably welcome it- after turning red as the alternate meeting of his name at the implications regarding the sisters -considering it's _normal_ compared to good ole' Isshin.

** :** We got more Ichigo/Blake interactions here. Hope you liked it!

**peterpotter1999:** Kisuke will be the first other than Ichigo's family, I can say that much. Again, still a long way off though.

**18Gs:** Yes, it is within the Bleach storyline- though Remnant is quite apart from the other worlds.

As for the other question: No. _When_ exactly it is, is tied into the way Ichigo got to Remnant and his backstory. Something I can't answer in a review reply, to say the least.

**Assault Godzilla:** Bleach characters will start cropping up later on, but certainly nothing outside his family until after V2 at the earliest.

Ichigo'll certainly have influence outside his team. We've got Sun and Neptune coming up later on, toss in the teachers who have to learn anything his team learns...and JNPR...safe to say he's influencing more people than he would probably _like_ to actually.

**AN: And there we go. Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter...next week will finish off V1, and then we jump into the next subarc. See you all then.**

**Side-note: I can't believe we're so close to 300 reviews for only ten chapters. I'm so in shock I'll even use an emoticon: O.O**


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